Her Words Destroyed My Planet
by UnfamiliarSky
Summary: Chloe wasn't sure what made her notice the girl. She was a little thing that was for sure and quiet, very quiet. But there was something about her something made her think this girl was meant to be bigger, meant to be so much more than just the girl with the headphones and the books who didn't talk to anybody...ever. Honestly, Chloe wasn't sure if she even could talk.
1. Chapter 1

_**Aca-author/note : Had this thought and wrote some stuff up. Let me know what you guys think? I've only written one fanfic before…technically I'm still writing it, it's in progress in another fandom. But this is my first PP so I hope it doesn't suck and I do the characters justice. Let me know what you guys think. Should I continue? Should I set the outline on fire and sing to it as it burns, never to speak of this venture again?**_

 _ **Obviously AU.**_

 _ **Standard disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. Pitch Perfect characters, settings, any songs or anything used or mentioned throughout none of it is mine and this is an umbrella disclaimer for the whole fic so I won't be doing this for every chapter. Title of the story comes from the song of the same name by Motion City Soundtrack**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

' _Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, Bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing-'_

"Beca," the voice caused her to jump in place; one hand going to the side of the dining chair she sat in.

She looked up to the familiar face of her father as he set his things on the kitchen island. A grin came across the man's face while he moved to stand beside his daughter.

"Finally," he remarked, "I said your name a couple times kid, you're really into that book aren't you?"

The petite girl nodded, forcing her own uneasy smile his way. Her fingers twitched nervously around the book as her dark eyes looked up at her father's tall figure.

"What are you reading, Beca?"

His voice was light, friendly some would easily call it; though some would be mistaken. She tilted the book enough that he could see the cover, using one hand to nervously move a few hairs behind her pierced ear. She was attempting to keep an outward calm while mentally praying for her dad to just keep going on with his day and leave her alone.

"Gatsby, huh?" he noted, "Sure does your old Lit Professor Pop proud to see you enjoying the classics."

She gave him another smile, a little more relaxed and genuine than before. He seemed to be in a good mood. Maybe he wouldn't …

"Well go on then," he instructed with a wave of his hand towards the book.

Any ounce of relaxation or relief she might have begun to feel vanished at these words. The still silent girl bit her lip and looked with pleading eyes at the man who simply crossed his arms and leaned back against the island. He ignored the very clear message in his daughter's troubled eyes. He always did.

"Come on, from where you let off," he specified. When she still hesitated, his voice came again; a darker, warning tone, "Beca."

Flattening the book against the table with a shaky hand, Beca poked her tongue out between her dry lip sand attempted to swallow down the thick feeling in her throat. Trying to settle the waves of anxiety that began pulsing through her, she started to direct her eyes back to where they'd been before being interrupted. Her anxious gaze then flicked over once more to where her dad stood; his eyes burning into her, the picture of impatience.

Swallowing again, she began to read out loud…or tried to, anyway.

"…c-c-c…c-comp-p-p…" she paused her pathetic attempt, trying not to notice how visibly upset the man behind her was becoming.

She took a breath and tried again.

"…c-com-comp…p-puls-pulsion, a …"

"Stop," her dad's voice interrupted sharply, making her flinch, "Pulsion isn't a word, Beca. Start again, say it right."

She felt like she was trying to swallow her heart back down to her chest.

"C-Comp-com-" she had to pause, her breath running out during her strain to say one stupid word.

She felt her dad move closer, coming to place his looming presence right beside her. She could feel his impatient anger rolling off of him in waves. The intimidation doing nothing to help her, but she tried again.

"CC-Comp-puh…C-C" She jumped in her seat with a small squeak like sound escaping her throat as the book was suddenly ripped from her hands.

"Compulsion!" her dad's booming voice came as he put his face way too close to hers causing her to try to shrink away. His large hand came to the back of her head; pushing it forward as he held the book open in front of her with face with his other. She braced her own hands against the table, the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald being shouted into her ear, "a singing _compulsion_ , a whispered listen!"

He gave her head one more emphatic push as he said the last word.

"Damn it, Beca, why can't you just.." he cut himself off with a frustrated groan and ran his hand over his bearded jaw before standing up straight again; his eyes once again looking at the little brunette with fire in them, "Get up."

Beca's eyes widened, knowing what was coming and immediately began shaking her head.

"N-N-No, p-plea-"

"Get up!" he repeated louder, causing his daughter to jump to her feet and try to instinctively move enough to the side that the table might separate them.

But he was too aggravated to play games. Her dad's hand shot out, gripping her arm above the elbow and forcing her to take stumbling steps behind him. He led her into the hall while she tried to resist, but being much smaller than him it didn't do anything to stop him. She tried to reason or beg but the damn words wouldn't come out beyond the terrible stuttering mess they always were.

"D-Dad, p-p-p-pl…"

He stopped them outside the closet door, _that_ closet door and looked at her as he opened it.

"Get in, Beca."

She shook her head, desperately trying to keep the tears from falling. She was already an embarrassing disappointment to him, she didn't need the tears to make her look even weaker.

"You don't want to go in?" he asked rhetorically, but she shook her head to answer anyway. He held up the book that was still in his hand, "Say compulsion."

The emotion and overwhelming panic made her normally awful stutter into an outright catastrophe as she tried to take the opportunity to help herself.

"C-C-C-CC-"

He didn't wait for her to try to finish, giving her a shove into the small closet. Beca stumbled in, her hands flying out in front of her were all that kept her from smashing her face against the wall. As soon as he managed to turn around, the door was shut in her face.

She heard the deadbolt click as she let herself sink to the floor in the tight space, her eyes clinging to the slit of light underneath the door as a lifeline. While trying to control her breathing and slow her racing heart, both tasks she was failing at, she heard the familiar words come from the other side of the door.

"I don't know why you make me get so hard with you, Beca," he sighed, almost like he were truly remorseful for what was happening; like his hand was being forced, "You know what you have to do to get out."

Yeah, she knew what she had to do; what he required before he would unlock the door and let her out.

She put her face in her hands and closed her eyes as tight as she could. With her eyes closed, she could be anywhere. If she was in her own self-induced darkness, she could pretend she wasn't in the tiny closet; she was somewhere else, somewhere spacious and she just happened to have her eyes closed at the moment.

Taking deep, shaking breaths to try to keep the growing nausea down.

 _Focus, Beca._

She told herself. If she wanted to get out, she had to calm down and focus. Taking one more breath, she moved her hands, but kept her eyes shut as she spoke.

"I…" she paused to take another breath. _So far, so good._

"…wa..w-w…" she stopped, clenching her jaw shut in frustration and threw her fist against the floor where she sat. She started again, "I…"

She tried to form the next word and already felt it's resistance to come out smoothly. It was like the words were actual physical things that would dig their claws into her throat, tongue, mouth…refusing to come out as they should no matter how hard she tried.

 _I want out!_

 _Just say it. Just be normal for two minutes and talk like a person._

 _I WANT OUT!_

She just had to be able to say it. If she said it, he would let her out.

Beca knew he was waiting just outside the door, she could see the shadows of his two feet in the small crack of light. She could imagine the look he probably had on his face. That familiar look he threw her way whenever he had to hear her pathetic attempts at speech. The girl could practically hear his thoughts.

The college professor with the stuttering idiot of a daughter.

Beca wasn't stupid though; not completely, anyway. She had always tried hard in school. But even as a kid she'd had her stutter. She couldn't really remember a time when she didn't occasionally stumble over her words; though it hadn't been as bad back then. It didn't matter that she couldn't help it, or that it only happened now and then for certain letters at the time, the other kids zeroed in on it and teased her to the point she spoke less and less in school.

As her dad began to realize she wasn't simply 'growing out of it,' his patience with her transformed into resentment…sometimes bordering on disgust. SO she avoided speaking as much as possible at home too…and as time passed in this manner, the unchecked impediment became more severe which made her speak even less and so on the vicious cycle went for years.

She wasn't dumb, but not speaking meant not asking questions when she didn't understand assignments. It meant letter her teachers believe she didn't do her work when time came to give presentations. It meant teacher conferences which further convinced her father that Beca was stupid, was lazy.

No one ever cared to bring up the fact that her reports were always turned in on time and scored well. If it was something she could read through or figure out on her own she could score as well as anyone else. But anything else…if she was confused about something in class, she had to remain confused.

"Beca…" the low voice came through the door again and the girl swallowed against her dry throat to try again.

"I…w-w-w"

A bang came, making her jump and pull her knees up to her chest as her father slammed his hand against the door hard enough to make it shake. Of course he didn't seem to realize or care that his methods and style of intimidation worsened everything.

"I-I…w-wan-want…"

She heard a heavy sigh through the door, her eyes moved over to the bit of light afforded to her.

"Beca," his voice came almost gently, "I wish you would apply yourself. I wish you cared enough to try."

His words, the tone, it felt like a punch to her chest.

She _was_ trying. Wasn't she?

Maybe it was her fault.

Maybe she just needed to work harder.

She wanted to tell him she was sorry. She'd do better. But before a sound could try to leave her quivering lips, the two shadows in the small light disappeared.

"Maybe tomorrow you'll take this seriously."

 _Tomorrow?_

No.

No, he wasn't going to do this to her again, was he? Last time…

She heard a click and then even the tiny slip of light she'd had to hold on to was extinguished.

"D-Da-Dad?" her voice was small with fear as she was now in total darkness.

The anxious girl waited, but her only reply was the slight creak above, giving away the fact that her father was going upstairs. He was leaving her there.

She shot up to her feet and tried desperately to open the door. Not caring about the tears that now stung and fell freely down her face in the dark. When it failed to budge, she began to bang her trembling hands against it.

She wanted to scream out for him. Beg and cry for him to please, please, please don't do this. But the words…the damn words dug those claws into her throat and she wondered if she would actually choke on them as the panic continued to fly through her small body.

 _Don't leave me in here._

 _Don't leave me in here!_

 _I want out. I want out._

 _I WANT OUT! I WANT OUT! I WANT OUT!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: Wow guys! I was hoping for a decent response, maybe cautious acceptance, but what I got was far more than anything I imagined would come. Thank you all for your follows, alerts, reviews, and messages in regards to the story. I've got the whole thing outlined, so I already know the general plot plan, but not how long it will actually end up being. But rest assured this is definitely a Bechloe.**_

 _ **Thanks again! I hope you continue to enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

The car came to a stop, causing Beca to look up for the first time since leaving the house that morning. She pulled her headphones down to hang around her neck as she looked out the window at the impressive campus. Though her dad had been a professor at Barden for several years, she had never been there, but now she would be there as a student; she would be living there.

A small, near smile tried to come to her lips as she looked out at it all. Her mind took on an uncharacteristic hopeful direction. It could be different here. It all could be different; better.

Everyone had their own things to deal with. She could structure her classes; pick the ones that played to her strengths…what few she had anyway. On top of everything, she'd be staying in a dorm, a place of her own. Well, she had a roommate, but the important fact was that she wouldn't be at home with her dad and Sheila. Not that the woman was actually that bad of a person; but she tried very hard to assert herself into the motherly role of Beca's life and that was something the girl did not care for. Beca already had a mom. She might not have any real memories of her, the woman died when Beca was young. Although, she noticed her dad tended to be a little more patient with her (or pretended to be) when Sheila was around; ever since the day her father's girlfriend saw an example of one of his 'teaching methods' six months ago.

 _Sheila entered the house with the key Warren had finally given her just a month before. She was still in the dreamy phase where every time she used it, she couldn't keep from smiling. She was able to get an earlier flight than originally planned on her way back from visiting her mother in Tampa. It was early enough that she was sure Warren and Beca would both still be sleeping so she made sure to be as quiet as possible walking through the house. Leaving her rolling suitcase by the stairs, she slipped off her jacket and made her way through the hall towards the closet._

 _It was weird to her that a coat closet had a deadbolt on the outside; she'd commented as such when she first saw it and Warren had shrugged and told her he thought it was strange too but that was just the way it was when they moved in. Weirder than the fact that there was a deadbolt on the door, was the fact that at the moment it was locked. Brushing it off, the woman unlocked it with a twist of her wrist and then opened the door._

 _She jumped back, a scream of surprise catching behind the gasp in her throat, not at all expecting a body to come falling out with the opening of the door._

" _Oh my God! Beca?!"_

The driver side door opening and closing brought her focus back to the present and away from her memory of suddenly finding herself on the floor, her hands shaking and her breath moving in shuddering snippets, looking up at the shocked face of her father's girlfriend.

Back to reality.

As hopeful as she tried to be, there was still the thought that she would fail at just as much here as she did at everything else. With a deep breath she opened the door and met her dad at the trunk of the car where he was taking out her bags. She saw how he grabbed the handle on the larger suitcase at the bottom and heaved it up. Beca's hands flew out to grab the smaller case on top of it to keep it from tumbling carelessly to the ground.

She saw the quick side glance her father gave her at the action, knowing he'd done so deliberately. He'd probably hoped it would hit the ground and break the fragile equipment within. Beca was well aware of her dad's opinion of her musical interests; he was never shy about voicing them.

"Alright, here we go," he announced in a happy sounding tone. He led the way, pulling her suitcase behind him.

They were instantly approached by a cheerful girl who welcomed Beca to campus.

"Hi there! Welcome to Barden University," the voice was way too upbeat as she handed Beca a pamphlet, "What building?"

Beca cleared her throat but just as she'd pressed her lips together to form the first letter her father held his palm up to the girl.

"I know where it is," he informed her, making sure to give her his friendly, professor smile.

Beca followed him, her eyes wandering over the swarms of people going this way and that. She tried to get a good look around, wanting to take it all in, but her dad was moving with a quick pace and her much shorter legs had to work double time to keep up with him.

As they reached the steps in front of a building, Beca's eyes stopped moving and landed on a girl sitting in the grass beneath a tree with another girl. She wasn't sure why she found herself staring at this girl specifically. Maybe it was her hair; a fiery red thrown up in a bun, a few strands poking out or hanging loosely here and there. It was…

"Hey," her dad's voice came, stealing her eyes away from the stranger, "what's the hold up? You can look around later, let's get settled in first."

She nodded and started following him again, though she hadn't noticed that she'd stopped walking until then.

Inside the dorm, she found her roommate was not in; though there were already a few things set up on one side of the room, so she felt safe assuming that the opposite side was to be hers. Beca had just set the case with her mixing board carefully onto the desk when her dad spoke again.

"Ok, this is it, right?" he spoke as if he were a regular parent dropping off their kid and not one that worked on campus and could (and would) probably pop in whenever he wanted.

"You have a real chance here, Beca," he spoke solemnly, his hands gesturing towards her as he spoke, "Don't waste it. Do you hear me?"

The brunette nodded vigorously. She could do this. She would make him see she wasn't stupid; wasn't a disappointment.

"That's my girl," he said with a grin and half turned to leave before he stopped and turned back, "Oh I almost forgot."

He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled a slip of paper out.

"Your schedule."

Her brow furrowed in confusion at his words.

She already had her schedule. It had been mailed to her weeks ago. She began to wring her hands, afraid she knew what was coming. He held the paper out to her, waiting for her to take it.

"I revised it a bit. Pulled some strings to get you late enrollment into a few classes that will be good for you."

She took the paper with an unsteady hand, not looking at it yet.

"I meant what I said," he explained, "you want to stay in the dorms instead of at home, you have to show me you're going to turn things around. No more slacking off. If I hear you've skipped classes or not taken your work seriously, if you're grades don't show me your best…this all goes away. You understand?"

Beca tried to keep calm as it felt like the paper she now held was more like a ticking bomb. She nodded again.

"Beca, I asked you a question," he stated, not accepting her silent answer and repeating himself, "Do you understand?"

She licked her lips.

"Y-Yeh-Yes."

His mouth fell into a straight line and for a second she thought he was going to yell at her again. He very well might have if the door hadn't opened and a stone faced Asian girl walked in, glancing at the two for just a second before going to her desk without a word and opening up her computer.

Beca watched her dad walk out of the dorm and let out a shaking breath as she lowered herself to sit on her mattress, forcing herself to open up the paper and look at her new classes.

She had planned on taking only the absolute minimum required in any of the maths and sciences; hoping to fill the rest of her load with things she knew she could handle. But that wouldn't have been enough for the great Dr. Mitchell, would it?

X

* * *

X

Chloe half listened to Aubrey's outlined plan for reviving the Bella's pride and reputation this year. The majority of her attention was given to watching the flow of students and parents over the grounds. The redheaded senior loved move-in day.

She loved watching the new students arrive, hope and excitement and some anxious fear all swirling in their faces. Theirs eyes taking in their futures at the same time their parents were forced to let go of the past and watch their children really step away from them.

She saw a tall boy wrap his arms around a shorter, older woman who must've been his mom. The woman was just tall enough to fit her head under his chin as she seemed to hug him for dear life and the second their embrace ended, the large man who'd been standing beside them stepped in for a hug as well. His form overtaking the young man and making him nearly invisible except for the two arms that wrapped around the back of his dad.

Chloe grinned, reminded of the way her parents and older brothers were when they all came to drop her off for her first day.

Her blue eyes then travelled again over different faces before halting once more on a girl walking behind a very determined looking man who was dragging a suitcase. She felt her curiosity peak at the strange scene. The man was giving polite smiles to people as he passed, making him appear friend enough. But the way he walked so quickly seemed to be making the girl with him work really hard to keep up; the tail of a flannel shirt catching on the wind from her speed. She thought it was weird that he wasn't allowing her to look around…that he wasn't taking their time before she would belong somewhere else.

"Chloe are you even listening?" the redhead turned her eyes back to her best friend.

"Huh?"

"Oh my God, you weren't, were you?" Aubrey asked with a scoff, "Chloe!"

"I'm sorry, Aubrey," she apologized, "I was just-"

"Doing you're weird little people watching thing?" the blonde interrupted with her correct guess. She let out a sigh, "Which one this time?"

Chloe smiled at how well her friend knew her and how she was willing to indulge Chloe. One of the things that brought Chloe to her psychology major was her fascination with watching people; wanting to know their motives and reasons behind behavior and thoughts. To answer the other girl, she nodded her head and pointed, "Guy in the sport coat speed walking and the girl trying to keep up with him."

Aubrey cast her eyes where her friend indicated, her eyebrows lifting a bit.

"That's Dr. Mitchell," she informed, "I had his class last year. I guess that's his daughter."

After a quiet second, the blonde spoke again, "Seems about right."

The comment confused Chloe, unsure what her friend meant by that. She turned back to Aubrey as the pair she'd been watching reached the steps in front of Baker Hall.

"What do you mean?"

Her co-captain only shrugged, "I don't know. I mean in his class he would mention her now and then; apparently she's a huge slacker," Aubrey recalled the times he would make a throw away comment in that regard when talking to the class about an upcoming exam or poorly done assignments. She shook her head away from the thoughts.

"Anyway, back to important things; we need to make extra sure we get only the best girls for the Bella's this year, Chloe. We have to get back on top. If I have to keep listening to Bumper's arrogance and jokes every time we pass each other I'm going to-"

"Hey, easy," Chloe spoke, putting her hand over Aubrey's as the blonde got herself worked up and began crinkling the carefully designed and printed fliers. Fliers that Chloe had spent hours putting together to Aubrey's exact specifications and had only just brought to her for the other girl's approval, "It's going to be fine. We'll get some awesome girls to fill up the Bella roster and we'll totes get back to nationals and we'll win it all."

Aubrey let out a slow steadying breath as she fought to push down her building stress; specifically the way her body tended to react to stress.

"You're right," she agreed with her friend, forcing a smile on her face that she hoped would eventually become genuine, "You're right."

"I know it," she said with a wink and nudged her shoulder into her friend's, "I can tell, Bree, this is going to be a great year for us. You'll see."

* * *

 _ **:)**_


	3. Chapter 3

**I meant to have this up on Saturday night. Sorry everyone. But it's a bit longer than the last one so I hope that makes up for it.**

 _ **Sidenote**_ **: Since I've allowed myself to dive into the PP fic fandom, I'm aware that the 'activities fair' scene has been done to death, but, meh, it's a good scene. I mean, come on guys, we all love it don't we? Anyway, I, like many others, have molded it to fit my specific version of this world**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

 _The sum of the ages of a father and his son is 52. 3 years ago, father's age is 2 years more than thrice the son's age. Find the age of the son 2 years hence._

Beca read over the problem again after copying it from the list that was projected onto the pull down screen at the front of the classroom. She buried one hand in her hair, scratching at her scalp before tightening to hold a fistful of hair. Her dark blue eyes discreetly moved up from her paper to glance around the room at the other students. The ones she saw who weren't moving their pens and pencils across their notebooks were looking ahead and waiting with too much confidence to have the same confusion Beca was currently experiencing.

She looked back to her paper where she read the problem for what had to be the tenth time. The other questions that had been displayed she'd been able to work through and figure out. But this one…

She read through it yet again. Trying to pay extra attention to the wording, looking for keywords to help figure out how she was supposed to find her answer. She traced her pen over the numbers, the slight indentions on the paper becoming more pronounced as she did so. As she struggled to work through it, the professor apparently decided they had all had enough time to do everything and had begun calling on people for answers starting with the first problem.

Beca half listened to him; just enough to know that the ones she'd been able to do had been done correctly and her answers were exactly right. After a few minutes though, she looked up at him as she realized they were now at the one she was stuck on.

"Alright, next one?" her eyes went to him and then flew around the room. Thankfully he wasn't the type to randomly choose someone who wasn't volunteering themselves; at least he hadn't yet been done that. After a moment, he pointed to someone above her in the theatre seating.

"Sixteen?" a girl's voice.

Beca's eyes flew back to the words of the problem. Sixteen? Was that right? Her bran started searching for a connection.

"Correct," the man's voice grabbed her attention again, "Did anyone get anything different?"

The quiet brunette glanced around, hoping someone had so it could be explained for her, but no response came.

"Great. So I assume everyone understands?" he asked before his own eyes travelled over the many faces in classroom, "Any questions?"

She self-consciously grabbed a section of hair hanging over her shoulder, tugging at it as was one of her nervous habits. She knew she had to speak up. She had to ask or she may be lost even more and she'd find herself in the exact same position she always did.

No.

She had told herself it would be different here; _she_ would be different. She felt her hand pull again at the handful of hair, the tug she felt at her scalp was a familiar sensation that focused her a bit. It felt like the more she thought about using that hand to call attention to herself, the tighter it seemed to get all wrapped up in her hair. She licked her lips as the voice in her head screamed at her to take the opportunity to help herself.

But as soon as she considered it, she felt like she could already feel the eyes on her. Her mouth feeling as though it were filling with sand as she thought about it. People watching her, listening to her…laughing at her. She could hear the old taunts, the teasing jabs.

" _Hey it's Buh-Buh-Beca."_

" _Do you ever actually complete a sentence?"_

" _Spit it out, would you?"_

Then her father's voice joined them.

" _Beca, I'm in a hurry."_

" _I don't have time for this."_

Those were especially painful, frequently used ones she used to hear all the time. Back when she would try to still talk to him about her day or school or speak to him at all. She would see the look come over his face, a mixture of impatience, annoyance, and something else she'd never really been able to name; disappointment or maybe regret, she wasn't sure.

She was pulled out of her brain when the professor clapped his hands together.

"Great. Moving on."

X

Later that week Beca was sitting at her desk, headphones resting comfortably over her ears as she worked with extreme focus on her latest mix. Kimmy Jin was at her own desk working on something of her own.

Her roommate was…interesting.

She had been pretty cold when Beca first met her and she was sure that the Asian girl's prickly demeanor had been a reaction to the shorter girl's slightly stumbling when introducing herself. All silence and icy glares that did nothing to ease Beca's nerves about how her year would go. But it soon became clear upon the few times she'd seen her interact with others that it was just the way she was with nearly everyone. Knowing that, Beca found a comfort in the awkward dynamic they shared.

They were both quiet people who kept to themselves and expected nothing out of the other except to take the trash out and respect each other's personal space. Both girls were free to go about their lives without question from the other.

So Beca didn't worry to notice when her roommate got up and went to the door. She'd seen the movement in her periphery but kept to her work, watching the bouncing lines of the first track to search for the best way to seamlessly introduce the chorus of the second one into it.

Her fingers moved in a flash as the perfect moment came. She froze the track and was about to introduce the first beat of the chorus into it when her headphones were suddenly ripped from her head. She spun around defensively, the anger ready to pour out at Kimmy Jin for such a breach, but halted in shock at the sight of her father standing above her. She pushed back her chair and moved to stand.

"Da-"

"Sit," he ordered, interrupting her with a sharp point of his finger back at her chair.

Beca dropped down into the seat, making an even greater height difference between the two of them.

He looked upset.

Why was he upset?

"Do you know who I spoke to today?" he asked, leaning over her.

Beca instinctually attempted to shrink back from him, her hands nervously grasping the arms of her chair. She shook her head, noticing that they were alone in the room. Kimmy Jin must have left after letting her dad in.

"I had an interesting talk with Dr. Rickard today. Do you know what he told me?"

Beca's mind when into overdrive. Dr. Rickard.

Dr. Rickard was math. Math that she was struggling in. Math that…she had an exam yesterday.

 _Shit_.

As if he knew exactly when she she'd figured it out, her dad began speaking again.

"A 45%, Rebecca?" he questioned her, using her full name to show exactly how upset he was with her. She hadn't even known what score she got on it until now; the class hadn't gotten them back yet.

"45%," he repeated, "on your first test of the semester. Is this the standard you're setting for the rest of the year? This is what you want your professor's to expect from you? _Failure._ Lazy, moronic, failure."

Beca swallowed down the mixture of shame and sadness his words were bringing up within her. Her eyes went to the door as Kimmy Jin walked back through and went to her closet, keeping her back to them deliberately; though she was sure she'd be listening to anything that would be said even if she would do her best to appear as though she wasn't. At least she could count on the girl not saying anything to her about it; but still the idea of having her hear exactly how dumb she was brought on a whole new line of embarrassment.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

His angry question brought her eyes back to him and she swallowed thickly.

"I'm-I'm s-s-sor-sorry."

Her dad just shook his head at her and put his hands on his hips, "You're always sorry, Beca, but what do you actually do about it? Nothing."

The navy eyes dropped to her lap, her hands clenching into small fists in her lap.

"But I'll tell you this," he went on, "grades like this are unacceptable. If you think for one second, you can get away with this kind of _stupidity_ – "

Kimmy Jin chose that second to turn around and face them, speaking to her roommate who appeared smaller than her already small stature.

"Are you ready to go to the activities fair?" she asked the girl as if the two had made some kind of plan together.

Beca looked uncertainly at the girl who hardly spoke to her and then to her dad who seemed to have just realized they were no longer alone. The man's glance became more controlled, body language completely changing as he reeled himself in and gave his daughter a nod and the quiet promise that they would finish their talk later.

Beca returned a jerky nod to him before she rose on shaking legs and hurried over to where Kimmy Jin stood by the open door. The girls walked in awkward silence until they got outside.

Once on the grounds the petite girl turned to her roommate, hoping to thank her for giving Beca the out, or maybe ask her why she had done it for her. As soon as the still shaken brunette opened her mouth, however, Kimmy Jin looked at her with that same stone still look and the familiar detached tone of voice as she spoke first.

"Your dad's a dick."

The words came out bluntly and then she walked away without giving the other girl a chance to even consider a response. Beca could only watch her roommate walk with purpose towards the tent with the words, Korean Club, stenciled across the top and easily inserted herself into their circle.

Beca stood awkwardly for a few moments; not sure what she should do. She'd had absolutely no plans to come out to the fair today, but she definitely couldn't go back to her dorm right now and risk running into her dad in the halls. She fiddled with the ends of her sleeves for a bit before she started walking along the path towards the many tables and tents for lack of anything else to do.

She had to take a step back as a kid on a unicycle, of all things, rode quickly across her path. The girl rolled her eyes at a couple of the things she saw, having difficulty believing that there would actually be such a group as Running Around in a Circle. Whatever made people happy, she supposed.

Her eyes lit up as she saw a table with a banner advertising Barden DJ's. She made her way over to it, grabbing for a brochure on the table without really paying attention to what the table actually said on it. Just as she unfolded the page to take a look at it, she felt someone come up next to her and start speaking.

"DJ's, alright," Beca turned to see the owner of the accented voice. The blonde girl pointed at the sign that Beca should have really read before allowing herself to get excited; her finger's sliding over the words as she read them aloud, "Deaf Jews."

Beca was sure that her disappointment was visible on her face and the other girl clicked her tongue.

"Not exactly what you're looking for then, eh?" she asked Beca. The other girl managed only a small smile. The blonde looked at her for a minute, taking in the girl in front of her and then spoke again, after observing her silent response, "Oh, or is it? Are you deaf?" and then as an afterthought, "Are you Jewish?"

Beca only shook her head and walked put the brochure back down on the table as two guys, obviously members of the club, returned to the table and began talking with the Australian. Leaving the girl to her conversation, the brunette continued to wander. Her eyes landed on the group of Quidditch players running around in the grass. Her attention was hijacked by the interesting sight; so much so that she didn't pay attention to where she was walking or who she might be walking toward.

"Hi, would you be interest-"the words were cut off from as Beca, still distracted by the devoted Potter fans, walked right into the girl.

She hadn't been going fast at all, but the awkward way they collided caused Beca's feet to tangle with the girl's and the two tripped over each other and soon ended up on the pavement. Chloe gasped in surprise as the brunette she'd approached with a flier walked straight into her.

She barely had time to register that she had fallen before Aubrey was there. Her blonde friend hurried over to her, hands moving beneath her shoulders to help her even as Chloe was already moving to sit up.

"Oh my gosh! Chloe are you ok?" Aubrey asked as she helped her friend to her feet and anxiously moved her hands down her arms to dust her off, though the fervor behind her actions had her pretty much slapping the redhead.

"I'm fine. Aubrey, I'm fine," she said, trying to dismiss her co-captain's concern and instead put her own eyes on the girl who'd fallen with her.

Beca winced as she felt the scrapes that the pavement had left on her palms when she'd tried to break her fall. She pulled herself up on her hands and knees and sat back for a moment, looking around to get an idea of what happened. Her eyes widened when she saw the girls standing above her and the mess of papers scattered around them.

She knew right away that it was her fault; she hadn't been paying attention. The brunette immediately began gathering the papers on the ground with uneasy hands as she heard the voices of the other girls talking above her. Once Beca had all of them together in a stack, she pushed herself up and found herself meeting a pair of shockingly blue eyes.

"Are you ok?" the voice that belonged to those blue eyes surprised her with its sincerity.

Beca held out the papers for the redhead, her silent apology. She got a kind smile in return but the moment was disrupted when the blonde suddenly reached out and snatched the fliers out of Beca's hands.

"Aca-scuse you," she declared, standing straight and bringing the fliers to her chest, "Do you watch where you're going at all or does that ridiculous amount of crap on your eyes effect your vision? You could have hurt someone."

"Easy Bree, it's ok," Chloe tried to reign in her friend, knowing that when she got started Aubrey was a terrifying force to have to endure.

"No, Chloe, it's not ok. Do you know how many head injuries are caused by simple trip and falls every day?" the blonde turned back to Beca, "Apologize and then walk away, preferably without knocking anyone else over."

"Aubrey, enough. You don't want to get yourself worked up, _do you?"_ Chloe emphasized the last part, giving her friend a meaningful look, reminding her of what happens when the blonde _does_ allow herself to get too worked up over anything. Her friend huffed and returned to their original spot in front of the Bella's table.

Chloe watched her friend walk away before turning back to the shorter girl still before her.

"Sorry about that," Chloe apologized on Aubrey behalf with a smile, "She gets a little intense sometimes."

Beca only gave her a small smile and shrugged it off. Chloe asked again since she didn't get an answer the first time: "Are you ok?"

The other girl was quick to nod and Chloe felt her brow furrow up; thinking it just a bit strange that the girl still had remained so silent through everything. Aubrey may have gone about it the wrong way, but at the very least she'd assume there would be an apology. Chloe would have deemed it unnecessary right away, but that was beside the fact.

"I'm Chloe, by the way," she went on, her smile returning to her face as she introduced herself, "Dr. Mitchell is your dad, right? I saw you guys together during the move-in."

Beca had been mentally prepping herself to speak to the girl; she wanted to apologize and introduce herself as well to Chloe.

 _Chloe_.

She liked that name for this girl in front of her. It suited her. However, the small brunette's prep work all flew out the window at the mention of her father.

Instead she only gave the Chloe another nod in response to her question and then turned to go.

"Wait!" Chloe called out, surprised at the strange girl's sudden departure. When she saw the girl actually stopped, Chloe quickly jogged over to Aubrey, taking a flier out of her hand before once again approaching the brunette, "Before our little fender bender, I was coming to give you one of these."

She held out the paper to her and waited until she took it in her hand to look it over before Chloe continued to speak.

"We," she gestured between herself and Aubrey, "are co-captains of the prestigious Barden Bella's acapella group and we're looking for new members to join us on our hunt for national victory."

Beca felt her eyebrows lift at the redhead's words, navy eyes moving away from the page in her hand to the excitable girl before her.

"Help us turn our dreams into a reality?"

The way she said it, her voice changing from unbridled enthusiasm to something with an edge of desperation. The plea in her words, the look in those blinding blues, it was almost enough to make Beca give in and agree just to put the smile back on her face.

But in the end, Beca swallowed and did her best to put on a polite smile as she shook her head apologetically and attempted to hand back the flier. A look of disappointment crashed over Chloe, but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared; once again the practiced pep returned to her voice.

"Keep it," she instructed, "in case you change your mind."

Chloe hoped she would.

Beca accepted it, though she knew she had no plans to give it any more thought and took another couple of seconds before beginning to step back and eventually turn around. It was all she could do not to run as fast as possible back to her dorm and curl up under the blanket.

Chloe sighed as she watched her walk away. She couldn't help being disappointed in the girl's refusal to audition. It wasn't until she walked back over to Aubrey that she realized she didn't even get the girl's name.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The short DJ looked over herself once more in the mirror. She'd gotten the call a few days ago letting her know that her application for the internship at Barden's radio station had been accepted. She was meant to start her first day in about an hour.

Determined to make a good first impression; Beca ran a hand down her black tank top to smooth out any wrinkles. Her eyes caught sight of the exposed tattoos on her wrist and forearm; man had her dad lost it when he saw them for the first time. She turned around, glancing behind her at the reflection of the tattoo on the back of her shoulder.

The girl wondered if she should cover them to look more professional. But it was a radio station. Surely they wouldn't mind a little ink, right? Suddenly second guessing herself, she grabbed a purple plaid button up and threw it on to be safe. It didn't do much for the headphones on her wrist, but the rest were successfully hidden for the moment.

Her dark eyes returned to her reflection and she let out a steady breath. Licking her lips, she spoke to the mirror.

"Hi, I'm B-Be…" she paused, getting stuck on the letter. Her nerves over this were affecting her as they usually did. She hummed a few chords to herself before trying again, "I'm Beca."

There, just like that. She couldn't help the small proud grin that threatened her face. It lasted a moment before a scowl appeared in its place.

 _Congratulations, you said your name._

Her mind sarcastically berated her. She shook her head and closed the closet;shutting away her reflection and heading out.

X

* * *

X

Chloe had just left the English building and was happy to have a few hours free before any other responsibilities need her attention. She was looking forward to going to the café and relaxing with a nice cup of coffee and going over her notes.

Bella's auditions were that weekend and as much time and energy as she spent trying to stay positive for Aubrey's sake, Chloe could admit to herself that she was worried. She'd handed out dozens of sheets at the fair and left one on the community bulletin board as well. The senior just hoped enough of them actually showed up…and could sing.

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out. It was a text from Aubrey. Her best friend appeared to be on a similar train of thought as the blonde's message conveyed her concerns for that Saturday. The redhead's bright blue eyes looked down at the screen as she began typing out her response in hopes to lift her spirits once again.

Not a moment later she felt a weight collide against her shoulder, nearly spinning her around. Once she regained her bearings, Chloe took a look and saw a familiar sight.

"Hey," Chloe spoke in surprise at seeing the brunette pulling herself back up off the sidewalk, "I'm sorry."

She reached out to help the girl to her feet, giving a slight chuckle.

"We keep meeting like this," she noted with amusement as she slid her hands around the girl's upper arm to assist her.

She couldn't help but notice the tension go over the girl's muscles under her touch. Then again, she had just been knocked over for the second time by Chloe.

"I promise I'm not doing it on purpose," she tried to joke with the brunette, "Are you alright?"

She watched the girl dust her palms over her hips before looking at Chloe; more like staring. She opened her mouth a moment before closing it once more. The shorter girl lifted a hand in acknowledgement before taking off around the senior and continuing in a hurry on her way.

Chloe watched her disappear once more and felt the same mix of intrigue for the girl and disappointment at her sudden departure. With a sigh, she waited until she was seated at the café to attempt texting once again so she could avoid any further incidents.

* * *

X

* * *

Beca rushed into the station building, still a bit shaken from her encounter with the redhead; Chloe she reminded herself. Her name was Chloe.

She forced those memorable eyes out of her head – could they be any brighter? – as she made her way through the station looking for the manager.

Beca took a deep breath as she came to the booth. Almost as soon as she approached, however, the door swung open with a blond guy on the handle.

She took a surprised step back before attempting to make her practiced introduction go as smoothly as it had in her dorm.

"Hi-"

"You been standing there long?" the young man interrupted her; a British accent coloring his words.

"Um," she voiced, surprised and confused by the question, "N-"

"I'm Luke, you must be Becky," he said coming completely out of the booth.

"It-"

"Hey man," a new voice interrupted her yet again. This was not going like she hoped at all, "I'm Jesse."

"I'm Luke," the man said handing over a box of albums he'd just picked up and nodded at Beca, "that's Becky, and you're late."

"I'm sorry I was-"

"Whatever, just don't make a habit," Luke stated, "You two can start stacking those cd's over there, when you're done there's more upstairs that need to be worked in. Everything's alphabetical by artist," he looked at his wristwatch, noting he had to get back on air soon, "Ok, rules are simple. No freshmen in the booth. No bothering me while I'm on air. No sex on the desk. I can't stress that last one enough, I've been burned before. Ok? Great."

With that he closed himself in the booth, leaving the two interns alone to get started.

"Well, he seems like a ball of fun, doesn't he?"

Beca only sighed as she went to the desk to set her bag down. She was already disappointed in how this internship was starting to play out. Her eyes flew over to the other intern to find him watching her. She rolled her eyes, not impressed with him.

Who shows up late to their first day?

He clearly didn't take this opportunity to work in the industry seriously. She just wished it would take her seriously in return. She didn't want to spend her days alphabetizing cd's.

"So, Becky," she heard him speak again, "What brought you to the wondrous world of the unpaid internship? The atmosphere? The sunny disposition of our boss in there? Or is it the thrill of stacking cd'?"

She didn't answer, instead going to the first grouping of cd's Luke had indicated.

"Look, we're going to be working together a lot," he began coming around to stand in front of her, "and don't get me wrong, I'm as much a fan of awkward silence as the next guy, but maybe it would make the whole experience more enjoyable if we were actually speaking to each other.

Beca's impression of him now included the fact that he talked a lot. He stepped back, standing straight and extending his hand between them.

"Hello Becky, it's nice to meet you. I'm Jesse, your new best friend."

Beca looked at his hand and then up at his face which was somehow nearly sparkling with an almost childish delight. She couldn't help the smirk that came over her as she took his hand and introduced herself as well.

"It's B-Beca," she corrected him.

She watched him cautiously as she pulled her hand back; watching for any response or reaction to the slip in her speech. To his credit, Jesse either didn't notice or care.

"Beca, got it," he snapped his fingers and pointed at her, "I didn't think you looked like a Becky. Beca fits you much better. Beca. Ooh, Be-caw!"

He laughed at his own joke and looked at her.

"Becaw," he said again at her and only getting a raised eyebrow, "Get it, like…you know…a bird."

He cleared his throat and looked down at his own pile of albums.

"Anyway, so what's your story? You're all the dark and mysterious, tragic heroine, strong female lead type girl? Tattoos and piercing for the tough candy shell but underneath is a soft creamy peanut butter filling?"

Beca smirked at him once more.

"I'm al-allergic t-to pean-n-nuts," she retorted.

"Aha!" Jesse reacted, "so the mystery begins to unravel."

She shook her head, though her amusement was obvious on her face. Beca ducked her gaze back to the cd's and Jesse smiled to himself as he set to work as well.

After a few minutes where the only sound in the room was the plastic cases bumping or sliding against each other and the soft volume of the songs being broadcast, Jesse looked over at her once again. She was sorting through various Bowie albums and Jesse felt uncharacteristically nervous as he thought about asking his next question.

He tapped two cd's against each other.

"This might, um," he pause da second as she turned back to look at him once more, "I don't want to cross a line or anything. Can I ask about…?"

Beca sighed and set down the cd's in her hands.

"I mean, I couldn't help but notice your, uh, your…I'm sorry. Never mind, I'm sorry."

"It's ok," she managed to say smoothly.

"Sorry, I'm just obnoxiously curious," he began, then more tentatively, "Can I ask?"

Beca just nodded, unsure about what he would possibly want to ask about it.

"Ok, I know sometimes it's a medical thing, like a side effect or whatever, and sometimes it's psychological," he paused and Beca swallowed nervously at the implication that she had some sort of mental issue, "Have you always had a stutter or did-"

"Yes," she answered suddenly, "Always."

As long as she could remember.

She had given permission for him to ask questions but regretted it as soon as he started to. No one had ever really asked about it before and she felt his questions were way too personal for her liking.

"Have you ever tried a counselor or speech therapist or something?" he asked, "You know, try to King's Speech it?"

"What?"

"You know, The King's Speech," he said again, going on when he saw her look of confusion, "King George and his speech therapist? Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush? Come on, it won, Best Picture 2011!"

She just shrugged, "Nev-Nevver seen it."

"You're missing out," he accused, "It's a great one. You like dramas?"

"I don't real-really…" she paused and took a breath, "wa-watch m-mo-movies."

"What?" he seemed shocked and suddenly Beca found herself on the receiving end of a long, impassioned and frankly boring rant about the beauty and wonder of movies.

Beca couldn't care less about the subject, but she was happy to let him go on and on with the new subject that took the focus off of her.

* * *

X

* * *

Chloe left her final class of the day, looking forward to just going home and watching some trashy reality television and eating a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

Her phone dinged with the familiar sound of an email alert. Opening the application, she was surprised to see and email from Dr. Mitchell. She didn't even have his class, why would he be emailing her?

The email itself didn't give her any clues. It simply asked her to come by his office during his open door hours. The hours were listed in the email signature at the bottom of the message. Checking the time, she realized she could just head over now and get it over with.

With a groan, she made a quick work of the trip back to the English building. Why couldn't he have sent the email to her while she was still in the building earlier that day instead of making her head back over there once again?

Even though Dr. Mitchell wasn't her professor, Chloe couldn't help but be nervous being called to his office. She knocked on the door, hearing a voice within invite her inside. She took a breath, mentally reminding herself she was doing well in all of her classes; had always done well. It couldn't be anything bad.

The redhead entered, finding a middle aged man looking at his computer for a few seconds before his eyes moved up to her.

"Dr. Mitchell?" she asked nervously, but really who else would be sitting behind his desk?

"Yes," the man said as he stood up, and held out his hand which she took, "You must be Miss Beale. Come, sit, please."

Chloe did as he suggested, sitting down in the empty chair across his desk. The professor sat back down as well and folded his hands together on the desk. Chloe found her eyes running over his face; mentally comparing his features to what she'd seen of his daughter. She found no resemblance there, so the girl must get her looks from her mother.

"You're probably wondering why I asked you to come by."

Chloe gave him a polite smile and nodded, "Yes, sir."

"I'll admit this may be a bit unorthodox, "he began; holding out his hands when he saw the look come over face at his words, "No, no it's nothing untoward, I promise."

He smiled and chuckled as he assured the young woman and saw her visibly relax once more.

"To cut right to it, Miss Beale, my daughter is a freshman here at Barden this year and, to put it kindly, she's struggling in several subjects."

Chloe took in what he was telling her.

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand what this has to do with me."

"Right. Well, I've asked around in the subjects she's doing poorly in, which if you ask me are all the bases needed for a good education; a good life. Nearly everyone I spoke with gave me your name Miss Beale as an exemplary student."

"Ok," a flush of pride at the apparent good impression she'd left with her teachers.

"I wonder if you'd be willing to act as a tutor or her," he proposed, "Now I won't lie to you, Beca is… _not_ the best student; not a good student at all to be honest. She's lazy and frustrating and will absolutely try every ounce of your patience."

"You make it sound so tempting," Chloe joked awkwardly; honestly she was a little uncomfortable with the way he was talking about his daughter. For some reason, though she'd only met the girl briefly a couple times, Chloe just couldn't reconcile the person he described with the quiet, shy girl from the fair.

Beca. That's what he called her. That must be her name. _Beca._

Dr. Mitchell chuckled at her joke and sat back in his chair.

"Trust me, I'm still painting a prettier picture of my daughter than you're likely to meet," he laughed a bit more to himself, "But if you're will to do this, I'm prepared to pay you a fair fee for your help. What do you think?"

"Oh, wow," Chloe voiced, "I certainly wasn't expecting this when I got your email."

He nodded at her with a smile; the teacher smile she called it.

"Um, you said she's struggling," Chloe began, trying to make sure she understood everything, "Is it, um, is there a learning disability I should be aware of; dyslexia, or maybe an attention disorder"

His eyes darkened at her suggestions and he immediately shot them down.

"No," he dismissed, "No, there's nothing wrong with her. She's just stu-" he cut himself off and shook his head.

Chloe's eyes widened at the slip of the tongue. He'd caught himself but not before the message came across. Had he really been about to call his child stupid? Did he say that kind of stuff to her face?

He cleared his throat and the dark look left his face once again.

"So, about the price, I was thinking-"

"I'll do it," the redhead declared interrupting him.

She didn't care about the money. At that point, Chloe just wanted to help this girl who clearly was without her father's support in her apparent academic struggles.

"Really?" he asked in surprise, "Are you sure?"

Chloe only nodded and repeated herself firmly.

"I'll do it."

x

X

X


	5. Chapter 5

**_Got it! If you popped into 'You Hold You Breath..." you know from the a/n that I accidentally left the notebook with this story work in Nashville and finally got it! Also anyone interested in that story, I've decided that the one shot will now be a two-shot and I'll get the second installment up within the next week._**

 ** _Thanks for your patience guys!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

Beca checked the time once more as she arrived at the campus library. Three minutes to six, at least she wouldn't be late. Her dad showed up at her dorm again the night before to let her know he'd arranged a tutor for her. Actually, maybe 'let her know,' was a bit too polite. He told her he hired a student " _who actually knows a thing or two"_ to help her out, and that since he was paying for it, unlike her tuition, he expected results.

He told her to be at the library by six for the first session; to bring her books and not be late. So here she was.

As she entered the building through the double glass doors, the brunette wished he'd thought to add another little detail; like who the hell this tutor was or what they looked like. Anything that would've given Beca some aim for who she was looking for rather than standing there feeling like an idiot. She adjusted the strap on her messenger bag and walked further into the main area of the library where several tables filled the space between the shelves and the cluster of computer stations. There were a few people scattered across different tables, but no one who seemed to be patiently, or knowing her dad and the type of person he'd probably find for her, impatiently waiting for Beca to show up.

She considered messaging her dad to ask who she was meeting, but that would probably convince him of her ineptitude even more. Plus it was now…five after…she was late. Well not really, _she_ wasn't late. She was here on time. She just didn't know where to go, so to this mysterious tutor, she seemed late.

 _They think you're late. They'll call your dad and tell him. He'll get mad. Yell at her. Make her come back to the house._

She shook her head, combing her fingers through her hair nervously as she continued to look around. Maybe they were in the bathroom, or looking through the stacks. There was a second floor Beca had never been on; maybe there were more tables up there?

As she entertained the idea of going up to have a look around, she felt a touch on her arm and jumped as she spun around. The last thing she expected was to see a set of familiar bright eyes. It looks as if Beca's reaction had startled the other girl as much as she had the brunette. Chloe took a step back from the sudden action and Beca took a moment to look at her before she pulled down her headphones, letting them rest in their usual place around her neck.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Chloe apologized right away, holding up her hands, "I tried to get your attention but I guess you couldn't hear me. Well, duh, you couldn't hear me."

Chloe gave a smile as she gestured to the headphones, hoping to ease the tension she felt radiating from the girl. After meeting with Dr. Mitchell, however, Chloe couldn't say she didn't understand it to a degree. Since speaking with him and hearing his …strong opinion of his daughter, Chloe had hardly been able to think of anything else. She was constantly wondering what it was like for her with him as a father; if he had always been critical while she grew up.

Beca forced a tight smile to the girl, her mind still fretting over this tutoring session she was only becoming later for by the second. More and more Beca could see herself being forced from the dorm and back into the house with her father and Sheila. She looked nervously around once more while Chloe tried not to let it get to her that, once again, Beca hadn't responded to her attempt at conversation. She looked her over, admittedly something she'd felt a desire to do since she first spotted her across the quad being hurried into Baker Hall.

Chloe wasn't sure what made her take notice the girl. She was a little thing, that was for sure. But there was something about her, something that made her think this girl was meant to be bigger; meant to be more than just the girl with headphones and books who didn't talk to anybody…ever? Chloe suddenly realized she'd never heard her speak, never seen her talking to anybody. Honestly, Chloe wasn't sure she even _could_ talk at this point.

"So, um," Chloe began again, now wondering if the girl was actually mute. That was something she'd hoped Dr. Mitchell would have mentioned, "It's Beca, right? That's your name?"

Beca's attention came back to the redhead. How did she know her name?

Her confusion must've shown on her face because Chloe spoke again.

"Sorry, that's kind of weird. I guess…I just thought you'd assume your dad told you. But maybe he didn't, so…yeah, your dad told me your name we spoke yesterday," she informed her tone as bubbly as ever even in the moments of hesitance. She gave another brilliant smile, "I don't know if you remember me, other than being that girl who keeps knocking you over, but I'm –"

"Chloe," Beca finished, surprising herself with her impulsive interruption, not to mention that the name fell smoothly from her lips on the first try. The brunette resolved to never admit that she'd practiced saying it in her dorm the day the girl introduced herself.

Chloe smiled brighter – if that were possible – as the girl said her name. Not only had she now actually heard her voice, she'd heard it say her name.

"You remember!" Chloe said excitedly, to which Beca shrugged self-consciously.

Beca tugged on the ends of her hair for a second. Finding herself needing to ask a question. She cleared her throat once and then after a moment, she did it a second time and prayed she could get through it without looking like an idiot in front of this girl.

"M-my dad?" she forced out intentionally keeping the question short and hoping it was understandable; looking downward as she did and wincing at herself.

Chloe paused for a moment, wondering on the question she'd asked. She figured it the girl was asking about Chloe's conversation with her dad. Did the two not talk to each other? Beca took notice of the look that followed the question and bit the inside of her cheek, mentally cursing herself as she assumed Chloe was reacting to the slight stutter she hadn't been able to suppress. She couldn't know that Chloe had hardly paid any mind to the slip, chalking it up to the shyness she felt from the freshman.

Beca flexed her fingers around the strap on her shoulder once more. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as she told herself she should have just kept her stupid mouth shut. Just as she'd parted her lips to force out something resembling a goodbye and scurry away to bite the bullet and call her dad, Chloe spoke first.

"Didn't he tell you?" she asked, "I mean, I saw you here in the library and I thought. Did I write it down wrong?"

Chloe reached into her bag and pulled out a small notebook. Opening it and flipping through several pages before settling on one. She split another smile and held it out for Beca to read.

"Aha! See," she showed the loopy handwriting that read clearly:

' _Tutoring Beca_

 _Library 6'_

Chloe was the one she was meeting?

"You?"

"Me," she replied happily, "I'm a little late, sorry. My lecture ran long and I still had to run home to get my stuff. Anyway, I'm sorry."

Beca was still trying to wrap her mind around the surprising news that the redhead, whose face and musical voice liked to pop into her mind at random moments, was going to be sitting with her for the next hour. Chloe clapped her hands together, lifting up on her toes for a second.

"Let's get started, huh?" she suggested.

Beca only nodded and followed the senior towards a vacant table.

"Ok," Chloe began as the two settled, "I thought we could focus on math today. Your dad mentioned you had some trouble on your test?"

Chloe was, of course, paraphrasing what Dr. Mitchell had said about her performance on the test. But she wasn't going to say that to the girl. Beca only nodded once more, reaching into her bag and grabbing the exam that had been given back to her the day before. She held it a moment, eyes taking in all the red slashes and notes Dr. Rickard had made while grading. The paper was pretty much bleeding in her hands.

The DJ bit her lip looking at it, hesitating in giving it over for Chloe to see the glaring evidence of her failure. But Beca cleared her throat and nervously put the red stained page down on the table and slid it across to her. She watched anxiously while the girl looked over it. Beca was waiting, bracing for the comments that were likely to come. Her left hand moved up, grabbing a lock of dark hair nervously giving it a bit of a tug.

After a few more seconds, Chloe set the test down and directed those breathtaking blues back to Beca. The other girl held her breath, anticipating that musical voice to become scathing.

"Ok," she began, "I can see where your problems were on a lot of these.

She pulled out a spiral notebook and copied one of the problems on to it.

"Ok, here's what we'll do," she spoke, getting up and moving to sit in the chair beside Beca, "Let's go through this step by step together."

Beca only looked at the other girl, equal parts confused and cautious. Chloe hadn't said anything about the complete mess Beca had made of the equations; something she was still certain the girl would do once she let her guard down.

Chloe noticed the other girl hadn't moved yet. She looked up at her and felt a small breath catch in her throat when she found her dark eyes watching her so intently. She'd seen them before, obviously, but never so closely. She'd classified them simply as dark, but now she could see they were actually blue. A deep shade of blue. Chloe couldn't even think of a fair comparison that would do justice to the unique color. Of Chloe had no way of knowing that their prolonged eye contact was charging a firestorm of thoughts in the other girl as well.

It wasn't until a nearby student lost his grip on his pile of collected books that the sudden noise of them chaotically hitting the floor snapped the frozen girls out of it. Chloe cleared her throat and looked back to the paper.

"Ok, what do we do first?"

She paused, waiting for Beca's input. When she received nothing, Chloe chanced another look at her. When the brunette still didn't say or do anything, Chloe internally sighed.

"I'll help you through it; I just need to know where in the process you're getting caught up. Ok?" Chloe spoke with trademark optimism in her tone, "So what do you think? What's step one?"

Beca looked at the paper again. For reasons she hated to be so familiar with – casting her eyes momentarily to the side at the trio of students talking amongst each other quietly at the table beside them – Beca remained silent; doing exactly the thing she swore she wouldn't be doing at Barden.

Beca shrugged; the voice in her head criticizing her for the punk-out.

"Oh," Chloe voiced, "Ok, that's fine."

The senior went ahead and wrote down the first step while explaining it. Chloe began to wonder again if Beca was actually working with a learning disability of some kind that Dr. Mitchell either didn't know or was in denial about.

She tried again with the next step, but got pretty much the same response. After a few times, Chloe stopped asking Beca and instead just worked it out herself while explaining everything she was doing. She might've been annoyed if she weren't aware of the way the girl watched and focused on everything Chloe was doing.

"So, the answer is...ta-da!" Chloe declared happily writing the number down as she did, "Make sense?"

The redhead picked a similar problem from the test paper and copied down as well.

"OK, this time, you do it," she put the notebook in front of Beca and held out the pen for her, "I'll guide you through with the steps we just did."

Beca took the pen and Chloe watched, surprised as the girl began working without waiting for her tutor to say anything. Chloe became fascinated by the crinkle that formed between Beca's brows as she concentrated. She felt her hand twitch with an impulsive urge to trace her finger over that crease.

She imagined the other girl's skin would be soft to the touch. Her blue eyes moved on their own, then, to her lips. Definitely soft; they looked like they would feel so soft under her own and wondered what they would taste like.

Chloe flinched in her seat when Beca sat back, forcing her to reign in her thoughts. The freshman paused a moment before pushing the notebook, almost cautiously, back to Chloe. The redhead licked her lips before glancing down to check the work.

"That's right!" she announced excitedly, "Great job, Beca!"

The enthusiasm in her voice caused a smile to pull at Beca's lips. The rest of the hour passed in the same manner; Chloe doing a problem step by step with explanations throughout and Beca doing it on her own right after.

Chloe was happy to notice that once she'd explained something, Beca never had a question to follow up with. She just understood and did it. It didn't seem like the girl actually needed tutoring; just a quick explanation.

As the girls were packing up, Beca feeling surprisingly good about herself at the end of it all, Chloe decided to go ahead and speak her thoughts out loud.

"Beca," she began, "you did a really great job today."

The redhead didn't miss the brightness that came to the other girl's dark eyes at the compliment. The response caused warmth to bloom in Chloe's chest while simultaneously breaking her heart a bit. It reminded her of the way Aubrey brightened up so much when she was on the receiving end of one of the extremely infrequent compliments from her Mr. Posen.

"I really don't think you need to be tutored at all, honestly," Chloe went on, still smiling, "You're smart."

Beca scoffed at this.

"You _are_ , Beca," she enforced, "These problems here, you just needed a little clarification and then you got it right away. I mean, this could have probably been answered by Dr. Rickard in class. I know he looks like a hardass, but he's actually really nice. He'll always take time if someone has a question."

Chloe paused a moment and looked at Beca carefully, really looked at her after Chloe's suggestion. The girl shifted uncomfortably as the senior appeared to be reading her.

"You don't talk much," Chloe suddenly stated as if just discovering something. Beca's eyes flicked up to her and then back down and around and everywhere else, until the girl spoke again, "So maybe asking a question in front of the class isn't something you want to do?"

At that Beca brought her eyes back to her in surprise. No one had ever seemed to connect those dots in all of Beca's life. Yet here was Chloe, who didn't know her at all, who after spending just an hour with her already had more insight than any teacher or school counselor or, God forbid, her dad ever showed. She really didn't know how to deal with it.

"You _can_ talk, but you don't," she paused, searching for a delicate way to ask about it without scaring or insulting the girl.

Chloe noticed the way Beca looked nervously to the other students nearby. If it were a serious case of shyness, or possibly an anxiety issue, she'd likely not want it to be discussed there; not with so many other people so close.

The older girl put on another bright smile.

"Do you like coffee?" she asked suddenly, "I feel like grabbing a coffee. Come with me?"

Beca's mouth came open automatically in surprise.

"I…"

That was the last thing she expected from anyone, let alone someone like Chloe. Someone as gorgeous and confident and … she just couldn't believe it. There had to be something else to it; some ulterior motive. But…it didn't make sense for her to have any kind of negative endgame to it. Not with the way Chloe had been the whole time they were together that evening.

She wasn't crazy enough to think that anything could really come from it, not in the sense that anyone would hope for from having coffee with a beautiful girl. But beyond anything else, at the very least Beca thought about how nice it would be to spend time with someone…maybe even have a real friend.

Looking at Chloe's expectant eyes, Beca simply nodded.

Chloe smiled even wider and clapped her hands together happily.

"Awesome! Let's go, I know the perfect place."

Beca couldn't help the smirk that pulled at her lips at witnessing the girl's excitement. Without warning, Chloe reached out and took hold of the younger girl's hand, leading her out of the library.

The brunette looked down at the hand enclosed around her own in surprise, feeling completely out of her element but not pulling away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Trying not to make this note too long, there's some stuff I wanted to get into, but I'm putting that at the bottom. Up here I just want to say I'm sorry for the time between updates. I was in the middle of preparing for a move and then actually moving. But now that I'm in my new place (** _ **all to myself!)**_ **I'm hoping to have more time and less distraction to be able to write more frequently. I want to thank you all for all the love this story has received. I've got another one shot I've been cooking with as well as a few ideas swirling in my head. In relation to that, I'm looking for someone to bounce ideas off of. So if anyone wants to talk to a weirdo obsessed with fictional lesbians, hit me up with a PM! I posted the same request on my Tumblr and haven't gotten any volunteers yet. Anyway, enough about me, let's get back to the story as the plot continues to develop.**

 _ ***special shout out to the review who asked if I was going to make Jesse a bad guy, I wasn't able to respond with a message so I'll put it here. I understand the urge to make him a villain of sorts, but for this story, I won't be doing that. Jesse will be present throughout to a degree, but not as a bad guy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

The coffee shop Chloe brought her to was almost completely empty of customers; something Beca was deeply grateful for. The brunette still had no clue how the senior managed to get her to follow along.

Regardless, here they were; Beca shoved her hands in her pockets the second they entered. The way the barista's eyes flew right to them made her itch with the urge to hurry the other way. Flexing her fingers in and out of fists within her pockets, she fought the reflex to flee.

Chloe turned to her with a smile, "Know what you want?"

Her question made Beca's eyes go up to the board. She nodded and moved to stand beside Chloe as she went first; the redhead ordering something that took a run-on sentence to describe. Beca tried not to feel the familiar flare of envy while listening to the words flow easily between Chloe and the aproned man.

She couldn't help but wonder- as she'd often done – what might be different in her life if could move words as effortlessly. The one that always came first, her dad. Her relationship with her father would likely be so much better; he might've actually been proud of her. That alone felt like the most unobtainable thing in the world.

Just to hear him say hear him say it; hear him say he was proud of her…that he loved her. Sure he'd said the words, but they'd never felt…right. The way he said it, _I love you Rebecca_.

It was always Rebecca; always her full name. It was hard to explain but every time he said it, it was like he wasn't saying it to her. He was saying it to the idea of her. Just once she wanted to hear it for who she was now. Just to hear the words I love you-

"Beca."

Her eyes focused back in to the present and on Chloe. Another smile greeted her followed by, "It's your turn."

Her tongue poked out to wet her lips and she cleared her through. She could do this. Just keep simple. She wasn't big on fancy coffee drinks. So simple was perfect. Black coffee. Great.

"Uh…B-B-Bl…" she paused, purposely keeping her eyes down on the counter rather than at the man in front of her. She winced, feeling his gaze on her as well as Chloe's. Maybe black coffee wasn't so simple after all. B's were a little rough.

"Nothing to be nervous about," she heard the man say with a chuckle, "It's just coffee."

Beca shook her head, eyes still downward. Her teeth clenched at the common assumption; people thinking she was just nervous and needed to calm down and her problem would be over. She took a breath as she felt her face becoming hot and decided to go with the easier route.

"S-Same," she spoke after a moment's effort.

Chloe felt her eyes widen a fraction before she regained control when Beca began to speak; or attempt to, in the beginning. Blue eyes watched as the other girl's posture became more slouched and withdrawn. Her body language displaying a complete lack of confidence. It was clear her silence was a lot more than a case of shyness. It all made a sad sort of sense now. She watched her lips move sporadically as the sounds of the barely begun word repeated several times.

The brunette's eyes remained down while she eventually spoke to ask for the same as Chloe. With her eyes averted, she didn't see Chloe move to place a warm hand between Beca's shoulder blades. The girl chanced a quick glance at the redhead before turning her attention back.

"The same thing?" the man asked for clarification with a raised brow, "It sounded like you were gonna say something else before."

Chloe bristled at the comment, specifically the little twitch in the corner of his mouth as if trying to suppress a laugh.

"You heard her," she declared. The man held up his hands in surrender before going to make their drinks.

Soon after Beca found herself sitting across the redhead. She looked down at the cup on the table in her hands. It was some complicated concoction with a mountain of whipped cream sitting on top. She took a sip through the straw and instantly put it back down. The freshman hoped her face didn't show exactly how much she disliked the sugary concoction.

"Good, right?" Chloe questioned.

The girl's dark eyes went to her across the table. Chloe was looking at her with a grin before taking a drink of her identical drink. Beca winced, unable to imagine how many dentist appointments she was bringing on herself. But Beca nodded anyway, bracing herself as she went to force down another drink. Chloe put her hand on her wrist, stopping her.

"Beca, stop. You don't have to drink it," she told her with an amused chuckle; "I've never seen someone look like a drink actually caused them pain."

Beca replied with an embarrassed half grin. So she clearly wasn't able to hide it. Beca put the cup back down, watching Chloe take another drink.

The other woman saw the look Beca was giving her and gave a shrug, "I like it."

Beca smirked despite herself.

"We can get you something else."

The brunette looked over to the barista once more before shaking her head. She wasn't going to try that again. It was bad enough the first time…and that Chloe witnessed it. She was still waiting for the backlash of that from her.

"S," Chloe began, causing Beca to curse mentally; as if her thinking about it had brought it to action, "We should talk."

There it was.

Beca shifted in her seat, clasping her hands in her lap to keep from tugging at her hair. Chloe took out her little notebook and opened it on the tabletop.

"Ok, so what days work best for you?"

Beca's brow furrowed, caught off guard by the question, "Wh-What?"

"Well," Chloe began, "I'm not sure how often you want to get together or how many classes you need some help with or what else you've got going on. My classes are done by two most days except for Thursday's; they go a bit later. Then there's the Bellas, I told you about them, remember? At the fair? Anyway, auditions are this Saturday and then I'll have rehearsals. Right now I'm not sure the exact schedule for those, Aubrey will likely set it up once we have all the members settled. Anyway, I was thinking if you tell me what's best for you, I'm sure I can talk to her about scheduling around it."

Beca blinked at her. She'd never had someone say so much to her at one time before. She wondered if Chloe had even taken a breath during any of that.

"Um…" Beca took a moment to catch up to everything she'd said and was able to form her answer, "I w-work at-t the r-r-ra-ra…"

She stopped, clearing her throat before taking a breath to try again. If she allowed herself a chance to dwell on it, Beca would be considering the fact that she was a bit nervous about speaking to Chloe, especially after the redhead had said so much in one sitting.

"The ra-radio st-st-t-sta…"

Beca was in the middle of mentally berating herself when she felt warmth cover her left hand on the table. She looked down to see, to her surprise, Chloe's hand blanketing hers. Her midnight eyes moved up to meet the electric ones across from her. To Beca's immense surprise, those eyes held no hint of annoyance or impatience. They were just looking at her…really seeing her. Chloe gave a soft smile before she spoke.

"Take your time," Chloe requested, "It's ok, I'm not in any rush."

Beca had to look away, unable to manage more for a moment than an awkward chuckle that escaped in a puff of breath. She ran her hand through her hair; completely aware how insane her behavior probably made her appear. She couldn't help it though. No one had ever said that to her before.

But here Chloe was surprising her again. Encouraging her to take her time. In these uncharted waters, Beca took the chance that Chloe was as genuine as she seemed.

She started speaking again.

She took her time.

X

* * *

X

A quick knock came from the door before it opened and Sheila let herself into the study. Her eyes easily finding the man sitting at the desk.

"Dinner's ready," she informed him.

"Hm," was the only response she received.

"Warren."

He made no move to reply as he continued to look between his laptop and a paper on his desk, occasionally flipping the page to look at the second one stapled to the back.

She sighed and walked over to stand in front of the desk.

"Warren," she repeated his name, this time pushing the lid down on his computer; closing it. That got his attention.

"I'm sorry, honey, what?" he asked, getting an eye roll from his girlfriend.

"Dinner's ready," she told him again.

"Ok, I'll be down in a few minutes," he stated, opening his laptop back up.

"Come on, I'm sure the tragic interpretation of Wuthering Heights can wait until after dinner," she teased.

He chuckled absently; his eyes and attention already back on his task.

"Alright," Sheila declared before sliding the paper out from under his hands.

"Sheila-"

She stepped back out of his reach.

"Let's see what insightful thoughts have you so…" she trailed off, her playful smile slipping as her eyes landed on the paper. She flipped the page over and back down again before looking at him, "This is Beca's."

The man stood and snatched the paper out of her hand.

"Warren," she looked at him, "What are you doing? Why do you have Beca's paper?"

"I asked Dr. Green for a copy," he told her, "He forwarded it to me and gave me his critique."

"Ok, that doesn't explain why," she replied, "Why would you ask for it?"

"Because I'm …she doesn't get to half-ass her way through this like she has everything else," he told her waving the paper around before slapping it down onto the desk, "See this? He said it's a ' _strong effort. It misses the mark but has potential.'_ He gave it an 83."

"83?" she repeated, "That's-"

"I'm sure I can talk him into letting her work on it a bit more. The due date lasts until midnight tonight. She could work on it some more and turn it in again by then."

"She turned it in; that's the work she was satisfied with, that's the grade she earned. An 83 on a college paper isn't bad at all. It's pretty good."

"It's not good enough!" he hollered suddenly. Seeing the way Sheila looked at him after his outburst, he adjusted his glasses and calmed his voice, "He said it himself. Potential. She has it, she wastes it. It's not _good enough_ , Sheila."

"You're too hard on her, Warren," she stated the fact that had been obvious to her from possibly the first time she'd been introduced to her boyfriend's daughter, "You keep pushing and pushing and it's not helping either of you; _especially_ Beca and with the way she is-"

"What the hell does that mean? The way she is?"

"Oh come on. The girl hardly talks to anyone and when she does…" she paused, "I know you don't like to talk about it, but I really think she needs to see-"

"You know what I think?" he interrupted angrily, "I think I know what's best for _my_ daughter a hell of a lot better than someone who's known her for about a year of her life."

Sheila only stared at him and shook her head.

"That is _not_ fair," she seethed, "I may not have known her very long, but I care about that girl damn it."

She turned to leave, stopping at the door.

"Forget about dinner. I think I'd like to eat alone tonight."

She slammed the door on the way out.

X

* * *

X

"Ok, how about…" Chloe took a moment to think.

The girls had been sitting in the café for over an hour though neither of them realized it had been that long. They'd just been talking.

It was something Beca had never really done; never thought she would do. Just sit and talk with someone. When she was with people it was easier to just be the one listening; an occasional nod or other such gesture was all anyone usually needed from her. If she ever did try to add to conversation it was obvious she wasn't really being listened to; it was just the other person waiting her out so they could speak again.

But not with Chloe.

"I know! A genie will grant you three wishes: what are they?"

Beca nearly rolled her eyes at the silly question. These were the kinds of things Chloe would say; questions that invited her to actually answer while the redhead listened.

Really listened; and because of that, Beca didn't hold back from talking to her.

"Oh, and you can't wish for more wishes," she added, "Go."

Beca smirked.

"M-More g-g-genies."

Chloe let out a laugh.

"You can't do that," she replied, still laughing. Beca just shook her head.

"You s-s-said w-wish-wishes. Nev-ver said an-anyth-thing about gen-genies."

"Alright, Captain Loophole," Chloe said, still smiling, "Really though, what would you wish?"

Beca sighed and looked down as she picked at a chip in the table. She shrugged.

"Wh-What do you th-think?" she asked quietly.

Now Chloe looked down a moment, feeling a little like a jerk.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I didn't mean to…"

Beca nodded with a small smile. Chloe suddenly straightened up in her seat as a thought came to her.

"Do you ever sing?"

Beca looked back up at the question.

"S-Sometimes."

"You don't stutter when you sing, right?"

Beca looked at Chloe as if the girl had just uncovered a big secret.

She tried not to think about it. Tried not to remember being a kid; watching Beauty and the Beast and singing along with Mrs. Potts as the titular couple danced together to the slow, sweet melody. She certainly didn't want to think about how happy and normal she'd felt doing so until her father heard her. He'd been happy too. A smile on his face as he stopped the movie and made her talk to him; gave her sentences to repeat.

When she stuttered through them he told her to stop playing and try; that he knew she could because he'd just heard her. She didn't want to think about the way he'd walked away, annoyed and angry while she walked away with tears on her cheeks.

She'd made sure not to sing in front of anyone since.

To answer the senior's question, Beca shook her head.

"Music is on a different part of your bran, you know. Music is in the right side, language is the left. So singing uses…" she paused a moment, noticing the look on the brunette's face, "Sorry, that was kind of rude, wasn't it? I didn't mean to go all _explain-y_ on you. You probably know more than I do about it. I'm sorry, Beca."

"I-It's ok."

It was, surprisingly. Beca could tell Chloe didn't mean anything by it. She wasn't trying to do anything except share information she knew. She was right, though; Beca did know. She'd wondered herself why she could sing without interruption in the words and had gone in search of an explanation. Still she could tell Chloe felt a little bad, and for some reason that didn't sit well with her.

"If-If-f only l-life w-were a mu-mus-mus-music-cal," the brunette mused with a shrug.

Chloe gave a large, smile and a short squeal.

"That'd be awesome!" she declared, "That's definitely what I'd wish for."

Beca couldn't help but give a small smile in response to the other girl's behavior.

She felt her phone buzz; breaking into the moment and her smile dropped upon seeing her father was calling. Chloe watched her face change. She watched her mouth part and her eyes scrunch as a moment of effort passed before she managed the first sound of greeting.

"He-"was all she'd finally managed before Chloe could hear a muffled voice come through the speaker. Obviously she couldn't tell what was being said, but she could recognize it was a man.

Beca's eyes widened a bit at whatever she'd been told.

"B-But I-"she began to argue and was cut off again.

The senior tried not to be obvious in her attention to the call; pretending to be interested in her own phone. A few seconds later, Beca put her phone down.

"I h-h-ave t-to-to g-g-go," Beca explained and Chloe noticed the stutter seemed worse now after the phone call, "I h-hav-have a p-p-pay-paper-"

She stopped, clenching her jaw before standing.

"Oh, of course," Chloe replied standing as well, "I should probably get home, too. But this was nice; fun."

Beca nodded in agreement and the two walked outside. Chloe debated with herself for a heartbeat before taking the risk.

"Beca," she started, "Thank you for talking with me today. I…You have a beautiful voice. Don't hide it."

Beca immediately felt the blush take over her face and ducked behind a curtain of hair to hide it. Taking her own risk, she glanced up at Chloe. She was smiling again. She smiled a lot. Beca liked it.

"Goodnight," the lips around that gorgeous smile spoke.

"Goodnight."

X

X

X

X

X

X

 **Hello again!**

 **I'm taking a moment to address something I hope won't really need to be done, but just in case. I know the pattern of Beca's dialogue when she stutters, broken and repetitive, might be a bit of a nuisance to read through, but it's on purpose. People who stutter (even without it being as severe as Beca) require patience and understanding. I want that to portray to the readers as well as the characters she speaks to. I want you guys to hear her the way, for example, Chloe hears her.**

 **I hope it doesn't bother you as much as it bothers my spell check.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello all! I'm seven hundred kinds of sorry for not updating sooner. I've honestly been trying to write this for some time now and for some reason it was just such a struggle for me to do while dealing with some personal stuff. I finally got this to the point I wanted, but even then I'm still not 100% satisfied with it. I hope you guys don't hate it! Big shout out to ChronieReader for listening to my babbles these past few weeks as well!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

Navy eyes looked down to the time display in the corner of the laptop screen; 11:50pm. With ten minutes to the midnight deadline, Beca attached her newly revised paper to an email and sent it away to the professor. She made sure to type out a couple sentences apologizing for the inconvenience and thanking him for a chance to do better. She wondered how bad the first one must have been for him to agree with her dad that she should do again; she'd actually felt pretty confident when she'd sent her original, but that confidence was apparently misplaced.

Sitting back with a sigh, she stretched her arms over her head. Her eyes went to the opposite bed where her roommate was sleeping. She'd made sure to keep her headphones plugged in and used only the small desk light to not disturb her. The two had a sort of unspoken agreement and coexisted peacefully for the most part, but there were still times she'd find herself on the receiving end of her murderous gaze.

Beca closed the laptop and debated her next move a moment before grabbing her shower kit and quietly leaving the room' making sure to leave the lamp on to keep from bumping into anything when she came back. Beca had been in the shower a few minutes, her mind running over the events of the day. She couldn't help but focus on her time with Chloe. It felt so good to have a real conversation with someone. She thought about Chloe's words; the memory she'd brought up.

With that in mind, Beca started to hum first. The tune one of the songs she'd used in her latest mix. After a few bars, she allowed herself to part her lip and began singing.

"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away."

She paused, unable to keep the smile from threatening her face, her vision blurring with a sudden gathering of tears as she heard her voice echo back. She was a bit rusty as far as singing went, but that didn't matter.

"Ricochet, you take your aim-"

The shower curtain suddenly jerked to the side, causing Beca to choke on her next words and spin around.

"It's you!"

Chloe was standing there, bare as the day she was born. Beca's heart raced in panicked surprise at the intrusion and she pushed herself back against the wall and attempted to shield her own nudity.

"C-C-Chl-Chloe!" she managed out in surprise.

The redhead stepped closer, seemingly unaware of Beca's personal bubble.

"Sorry, I heard singing and I had to see who it was, and it's you!" Chloe came closer, "Titanium, right?"

Beca had a split second to be surprised at the girl's recognition of the artist's work before Chloe was speaking again.

"Sing some more for me?"

It had been so long since she'd sung in front of anyone; or at all really. It was a rare occurrence for her to do more than hum even when on her own. She wanted to deny her request on the principle of self-preservation. But at the same time…

The brunette licked her lips, adjusted her arms again around her exposed body and started where she left off. Chloe smiled wide and joined in, the two harmonizing through the chorus. They kept eye contact and soon Beca found herself beginning to smile as well.

She felt…electric; like someone flipped a switch in her and she was finally on. On, the way everyone else seemed to be; awake and alive and aware. She'd never felt anything like it.

Their song came to an end and for a moment neither spoke; hell Beca wasn't sure she was even breathing and she was fine with it. As long as she could keep feeling like she was in that moment, it didn't matter if they never left the stall.

"You guys sound great together."

The new voice snapped Beca out of the trance of Chloe's eyes. She saw some strange guy standing at the entrance of the stall; also naked. What was it with people around this place?

"Chloe?" he then looked at the redhead and nodded his head behind where he stood, gesturing in the way he came.

"Oh, right. Coming," she agreed and once he turned around, she looked at Beca once more, "Think about auditioning?"

The brunette gave a shaky nod.

"Great," she said, happily bouncing in place with excitement.

The action caused Beca to unintentionally drop her eyes to her exposed breasts. As soon as she caught herself, she forced her gaze back up towards the ceiling. The redhead noticed and grinned.

"Yeah, I'm pretty confident about…" she gestured to her torso, "all this."

"You sh-should b-b-be."

Chloe continued to smile and purposely looked down at the freshman's body. When she looked back up, she gave Beca a wink; the other girl slapped her hands over her body and blushed furiously as Chloe spun on her heels and left.

Beca stared at the entrance for a few moments after she left, half expecting the curiously energetic redhead to pop back through it again. Shaking her head, Beca quickly went to the curtain and pulled it shut again before going back to finish the shower she hadn't truly started before being interrupted; and if she adjusted the temperature so it was a little colder than before than before it certainly had nothing to do with naked senior who'd been with her moments ago.

X

* * *

X

Aubrey was nearly through her workload, which she had meticulously categorized by subject as well as by priority, when the door opened and her roommate entered. She flicked her eyes upwards for a moment before casting it back down as she spoke.

"You're back early."

Chloe checked the time before commenting, "It's after midnight."

"True," she stated still looking at her work, "but it's early considering how late you usually stay out when you go off to meet up with Tom for your…extracurricular activities."

Chloe laughed, "Extracurricular activities? Just say sex, Bree."

Aubrey rolled her eyes and continued her work. Chloe sat down across from her at the table and looked at her best friend for several quiet moments before Aubrey finally looked up at her and raised her eyebrows.

"Yes?"

"Something pretty cool happened tonight."

"Ugh," the blonde groaned, "Please don't tell me anything about what you two did tonight. I've told you before I don't want details."

"It's not about that," Chloe assured with a smile, "OK, so we were in the freshman showers-"

"Why would you go to the freshman showers?"

"Because no one ever uses them this late," she answered easily, "Anyway, that's not the point. The point is while we were there I heard a girl singing."

At this, Aubrey's interest peaked.

"She sounded so good, Bree. I mean, a little rusty, but really good. So I went to see who it was and I think she's going to come to auditions Saturday."

"That's great, Chloe!" she declared happily, "The more girls we have try out, the better the chance of really putting together a winning team, and if you think she's good-"

"She is, Bree, I promise."

"Who is she?" she asked, "Someone from the fair? Someone we know? Who?"

Chloe nodded, "Her name's Beca. We met her at the activities fair for a minute but she didn't stick around very long."

"Which one? I might remember her."

Chloe hesitated for a second, remembering Aubrey's less than stellar interaction with Beca.

"You probably do," she started, "The girl I bumped into-"

"You mean the girl who ran into _you_ ," Aubrey interrupted, "Chloe, no."

"Come on, Bree."

"She's not Bella material. She had those tattoos and whatever those monstrosities were in her ears. She's too alternative for the Bella's. Not to mention how rude she was! She ran right into you and didn't even apologize."

"It's more complicated than that. It was just a bad first impression," she offered, "I mean, come on, you don't always make the best impression when people first meet you either."

"The way Dr. Mitchell talks about her-"

"You above all people should know that a father's opinion of their daughter isn't exactly favorable all the time," she argued back, "Just give her a chance."

The blonde let out a sigh and relented to her friend.

"She can audition the same as everyone else," she agreed, "That's all, no special consideration, I mean it Chloe."

"That's all she'll need, you'll see."

X

* * *

X

Beca was sorting through discs, wondering how so many kept piling up between her shifts. She may not like what Luke had her doing during her time there, but that didn't mean she didn't work hard, or that she wasn't extremely annoyed to see that her work was more or less undone when she came in the next time.

Did anyone else ever try putting back what they took out? It sure didn't seem like it. With a sigh she gave her attention back to the stack she was currently working through. When her eyes glanced up she saw Jesse standing there, holding an album up in front of his face.

He did that occasionally to try and get a laugh out of her; sometimes it worked. This was one of the times that it didn't. She gave him a small grin for his efforts but, honestly had too much on her mind. Her head was still stuck on Chloe, specifically on the auditions the girl had cornered her into agreeing to attend. They took place that afternoon and she was still debating if she would actually go through with it or not.

Singing for Chloe had been one thing, but to do it in a room full of people there to stare and judge her. It was more than enough to send her to the safety of her dorm and headphones. Just thinking about it terrified her.

"Are you listening?"

The question had the girl's attention going back to her fellow freshman. Not bothering a spoken response, she lifted her eyebrows instead. The message was clear enough as Jesse repeated himself for her.

"I asked if you'd mind holding down the plastic CD fort on your own for a bit later on."

"Um, W-why?" she asked.

"Acapella auditions! Come on Becaw, I told you about this days ago," he reminder her, "I'm going to be a Treble."

Beca thought back, vaguely remembering he'd mentioned something about it previously.

"R-R-Right."

"Cool," he nodded, "So, you're cool with me stepping out?"

"Um, ac-act-actually, I wa-was think-king of going t-too," she admitted.

"Oh yeah?" he responded with excitement in his tone, "That's awesome! You can be one of those acapella girls and I'll be an acapella guy. This will be great; we'll go to the auditions together! What team do you want?"

She knew Chloe had mentioned her team that day on the quad, but damn if she couldn't remember. She'd been too busy being a mix of mortified for running into the girl and mesmerized by her. She guessed she couldn't just tell him, 'Whatever team Chloe is on' to him. That would probably make her sound like a stalker.

She just shrugged.

"M-M-Might nnot ev-even go."

"What? Why not?"

Beca shrugged again.

X

* * *

X

Aubrey rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon and let out a heavy sigh at the girl who started crying in the middle of her song. She crossed through her name on the sheet with a harshly made line of ink.

Chloe saw her friend's agitation and put a hand on her arm as she spoke to the girl on stage.

"Thank you!"

The crying girl nodded and exited the stage.

"Well that's it," Aubrey said throwing her pen on the desk, "That's everyone. We're screwed."

Chloe gave her arm a comforting pat as she looked dejectedly at the stage. She sighed, realizing Beca wasn't coming after all. However, just as she began to look down at her own list of candidates, she was caught sight of the brunette peeking around the curtain corner.

"Oh wait! There's one more," Chloe declared happily; waving at Beca to come forward as she saw the girl's hesitance.

Beca nervously took a spot center stage, her mouth completely dry and her hands shoved deep in the tight pockets of her skinny jeans to hide their shaking. She tried not to be bothered by all the eyes on her and chose to look at the front row where Chloe was sitting; brightly smiling as always. The girl beside her Beca recognized as the blonde from the fair. She looked just as pleased with her presence then as she had that day. She was fixing Beca with a cold stare that made turning and running sound like a great idea.

Chloe leaned over and whispered something to her friend and the blonde let out a sigh before picking her pen back up.

"Name?"

"Um, "Beca began, licking her lips and pressing them together to begin her first name.

Aubrey raised her eyebrows impatiently, "Have you forgotten?"

A few chuckles came and Chloe looked around with a look of distaste at everyone else. Her eyes came back to the girl on stage and she gave her an encouraging nod. Beca found some comfort in that gesture and began again.

"B-Beca M-MMitch-chell," damn, she was so nervous.

Aubrey wrote the name down and looked back up, waiting.

"I, um, I di-didn't kn-know we had t-t-t-to pr…" she took a breath, "pr-prep-pare th-th-that s-s-s-s-s"

"Are you serious right now?" a male voice came from a seat farther back, followed by a laugh. Beca's eyes went to a group of boys sitting together; the one in the middle doing the talking, "You ga-ga-gonna sing a sa-sa-sa-song?"

She looked down quickly, hearing a chorus of laughter follow.

Chloe stood and turned around quickly, "Can it, Bumper! Last I checked Trebles don't have any girls so you don't need to be here."

He just smirked at her outburst, "You kidding me? No way am I missing this."

He relaxed further back in his chair and propped his feet up on the seat in front of him.

Chloe glared at him angrily for a moment before turning back around towards the stage. She offered another smile to the girl, "Go ahead, Beca. Sing whatever you want."

The brunette licked her lips again, now rubbing her hands together and nodded while thinking of a song. She spotted the yellow cup of pens and had a thought. In an uncharacteristic moment of confidence, she moved to the end of the stage and leaned over to grab it. The blonde, again, looked less than pleased as she dumped the pens out onto in front of her.

Taking a seat on the stage, Beca took another moment to share eye contact with those sparkling blues before her and then began.

* * *

 **X**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Apologies for the absence, things have been crazy busy lately. But here you gooooo!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

Beca put down the cup one final time to end her song.

She'd kept her eyes down on the yellow plastic the entire time; afraid of what she'd see on all their faces when she looked up. After a pause, she swallowed thickly and dared to look up.

She saw the guy that mocked her; he was sitting back in his chair, arms crossed and a scowl planted on his face. That gave her a spark of pride for having shut him up. Next she looked at the blonde from the activities of fair. She looked almost conflicted. Her face appeared as critical and unimpressed as it had before, but her eyes looked thoughtful. It was like she was trying to figure something out; figure _her_ out?

Then there was Chloe. She wore a bright smile and her eyes were sparkling. She gave a slight nod her way, looking someone who'd just seen proof of something magical. That look alone was enough to make Beca blush and duck her head again.

She stood up and gave an awkward half-bow before hurrying off stage. She passed Jesse who had been watching.

"Beca that was great! You-"he stopped his praise as she rushed by him without pause.

She rushed back to the station to finish her shift. The freshman let out a breath as she returned to the comfort of the dimly lit building. She sighed and went over to the stack she'd been in the middle of and got to work in an attempt to put the afternoon behind her. She hadn't totally embarrassed herself while singing, but she kept hearing the echo in her head of her own voice speaking before her song. Being in front of all those eyes had exacerbated her and she just wanted to hide in the shelves and forget it happened.

Luke walked by her, drumming a rhythm against his thighs as he approached the shelf.

"Hey Becky," he greeted absently while he skimmed the music library, "Thought you and the kid stepped out."

She nodded, "I'm b-back."

He nodded as well, pulling out a couple cd's and looking at the track list on the back.

"Quickie then, eh?" he commented; not noticing Beca's surprised look, he went on, "So where is loverboy, then? Is he coming back?"

"I-I don-"

Still not looking her way as he continued to search the shelves he cut her off.

"What's the matter, Becky? He break your heart or something?" he chuckled to himself, "Gotta say I'd be surprised. He doesn't seem like the treat 'em and street 'em type. Then again, I wouldn't have pegged him for your type. Don't see the chemistry there if you ask me, but takes all kinds I suppose."

She shook her head quickly as what he was saying actually sunk in.

"N-no, w-we-we, I-I'm –"

The Brit finally looked at her and smiled.

"Relax, Becky, I'm just messing with you," he admitted, "Jesse told me about the auditions. Just wanted to give you a hard time."

"Oh," Beca let out a large breath.

"Relax," he said again, giving her shoulder a light shove and getting a nervous chuckle from her in response. He looked at her for a minute before asking, "Are you all right, though? I mean, overall."

"Yeah," she answered smoothly, putting on a small smile and picking out a cd and holding it out to him.

"Ah, The XX, a girl after my heart," he commented, putting it with the others already in his hand.

She grinned as he headed back to the booth, pleased with herself that the station manager seemed to like her taste in music. She wondered if he might be receptive to giving her mixes a listen. She shook her head and went back to work, thinking that maybe she shouldn't push for too much too soon. Focusing on the stack once more, she started humming quietly to herself as she worked.

"So this is where you hide."

The brunette jumped in place and spun around, dropping cd's with a clatter of plastic. Chloe chuckled at the affect she had on the freshman; her reaction pretty much identical to the one she'd had in the shower. She took a step closer.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," the redhead spoke with amusement.

"Th-Then s-s-stop s-sn-sneaking up on m-me," Beca answered after giving her heart a chance to slow down. She dropped down to pick up the dropped albums.

"But it's so fun!" she teased; kneeling down to help.

Beca swallowed nervously, realizing how close they were. They were only inches apart when Chloe glanced up; surprised to find Beca staring. They held eyes and Chloe was once again struck by the uniqueness of them. They were so dark from a distance you'd be forgiven if you might call them black at first glance. But there was so much to them which was perfect since there seemed to be so much to the girl who owned them.

Realizing how long they'd been staring at each other, Chloe gave the freshman a smile and, hoping she was reading the moment right, began to lean in. Beca saw the beautiful girl in front of her move closer and, realizing what was about to happen, felt herself panic. Not knowing what else to do, Beca cleared her throat and stood up quickly.

Chloe saw this and grinned at the action despite not being able to kiss her; finding her nervous behavior cute. The redhead rose as well to stand a few inches above the other girl and gave her the albums she had gathered while on the floor.

"W-What, um, wh-what are you d-d-do-doing here?"

"Oh, well, you came late and then took off so fast," Chloe reached in her back pocket and unfolded a sheet of paper, "you didn't fill out your form. I filled out what I could but other than your name and that you're a freshman, there wasn't much I could do. Your friend Jesse said I could find you here. So here you go."

Beca took it from the girl, honestly unaware that she was supposed to fill out any kind of application, and read it over quickly. It was pretty basic stuff; dorm, major, and musical influences.

"Ok," Beca stepped over to the no-sex desk and quickly filled out the rest; taking note of the way her harsh scribble looked next to Chloe's smooth, loopy writing. That seemed about right.

"Awesome!" the senior spoke enthusiastically accepting the paper and looking at it, "No major yet; undeclared?"

"S-Someth-thing like th-that."

The girls shared another long moment of eye contact after her answer. Chloe enjoyed the slight blush she could see beginning to creep up her neck. Awkward Beca was definitely her favorite Beca so far.

"Well," she started, "I'll see you around."

Chloe turned to leave.

"W-Wait," Beca stopped her, "D-D-Does th-tha m-mean I'm-I'm in?"

Chloe only winked before continuing her exit. Beca found herself watching her leave until her view suddenly obstructed as Luke leaned out of the booth with a large smile on his face.

"Did I spy a wink?" he asked, still smiling like a dork, "Did Becky just get a wink from a pretty girl?"

She just turned back to the shelf to hide her face, knowing by the heat she felt that she was definitely blushing.

"Ah, there it is," he laughed and pointed at her happily, "There it is; get it!"

He clapped a few times before disappearing back into the booth. Beca kept her face hidden towards the shelf until she heard the booth door close. Only then did she look over her shoulder, unable to help the small smile.

X

* * *

X

Later that same night, Beca was in her dorm. It had been a fairly productive night. She had read the philosophy text they'd been assigned the day before and even got a good start on her paper, only noticing how much time had passed when Kimmy Jin returned to the room and sat at her own desk to presumable take care of her classwork.

Feeling inspired by the events of the day, Beca put aside her work and opened her mixing program. She heard a knock on the door, but paid no attention to it. Other than the day her dad came roaring into the dorm to tear her apart in front of her roommate, the only people who ever came to their room were Kimmy Jin's friends.

She was about to put her headphones on when her vision suddenly went black. Something had been put on her head, throwing her into the dark.

She was in the dark.

Someone put her in the dark again.

Just like the closet.

The closet.

Oh God.

 _I want out._

 _I want out!_

She threw her body backward, rolling the chair back and hearing a grunt and a thud hitting the floor.

She told her mouth to say the words.

She just had to say them and then she could get out. She tried to say the words, but her brain and body were on two different wave lengths of panic. Usually she could see it coming. Her dad forcing her towards the closet; she would know what was coming. But this had been so sudden.

Her breathing sped up, feeling a rough cloth touch her face with each sharp inhale. She jolted to her feet as the panic continued to rise. Someone touched her back and she flinched violently away. Losing her footing, the brunette fell to the floor and instantly scurried back until she felt the wall behind her.

Her eyes slammed shut, hoping to use the familiar method of self-imposed darkness to calm down. Her brain too frazzled to realize she could pull the bag off herself.

 _I want out._

 _I want .Iwantout!_

"…hear me? Beca?" a voice came muffled through the panicked haze, "Beca, open your eyes. Listen to me, open your eyes. It's ok."

After a few more moments, Beca finally managed to peel her eyes open, and was surprised to find herself looking into a pair of worried blues.

"There you go, it's ok," Chloe's voice came softly to her ears, "It's ok."

Chloe was looking at her with concern over her face as she knelt directly in front of Beca. She gave the girl a nod and small smile before reaching her hands out.

"Let's let go here, ok," Chloe's hands wrapped gently around her own. It was only then that Beca realized she'd wrapped her hands up in her hair and had been pulling. Under Chloe's cool touch, she unclenched her fists and released it; the redhead then guiding Beca's hands to rest on her pulled in knees, "There, that's better, right?"

Beca felt her breathing slow to a regular pace and looked away from Chloe for the first time since opening her eyes to see Kimmy Jin turning her head away from where she'd apparently been watching.

"Are you ok?"

Beca looked back to Chloe at her question. She answered with a jerky nod.

"W-W-W-W-W-W…" she stopped; the words refused to come out. She bit her lip in frustration; too much had happened at once and she was still trying to wrap her head around it.

"It's ok," Chloe instructed; seeing how worked up the girl had gotten and the affect it was having on her, "Just breathe; take your time. It's ok."

Grateful for the girl's patience, Beca took the time she was given. Burying her head into her knees, Beca, took Chloe's advice and focused on breathing. She tried to forget that Chloe was waiting for her. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she finally felt confident enough to look up again. She noticed Kimmy Jin had left at some point; thankfully thinking to give them privacy. At least that was what Beca assumed her reasoning was since she'd only just returned to the dorm.

"Better?" Chloe asked and Beca once again nodded at the girl.

The brunette cleared her throat, "W-What are you d-d-do-doing?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that," she apologized. Beca noticed in her hand was a black bag that she could only assume was what had been on her head. The redhead saw where her eyes went and explained herself, "I'm sorry. It's the tradition for Bella's initiation."

"In-In-Init-nitiation?"

"Yeah, you're in," Chloe told her, then shrugged her shoulders, "Congratulations?"

Beca gave an awkward half smile and gave a halfhearted, "Yay."

Chloe chuckled at her and sat back, her voice turning serious once more, "Are you sure you're ok?"

Beca nodded again, "F-Fine."

"Ok," Chloe replied, making note to herself to try bringing it up at their next tutor session. For now, though she was going to let it go rather than push the girl when she was fresh out of the episode. She clapped her hands on her thighs, "Ok, you up for your official Bella initiation?"

"L-Let's d-d-do it," she said with a nod.

"Awesome."

The redhead pushed herself up and held out a hand to held Beca up as well. The brunette placed her hand in Chloe's slender one hand allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She wasn't sure what to name the feeling that came when their hands released; disappointment?

"Y-You n-n-need to p-put it b-b-b-back on?" she asked, gesturing to the hood.

Chloe looked down at the bag in her hand. She knew Aubrey would be mad if Beca showed up without the hood on. If there was one thing that was obvious about her best friend it was that the girl thought Bella traditions were sacred and there was no room for compromise. But based on Beca's reaction, she didn't feel think she could force the girl back into it.

"It's ok," Beca suddenly said, seeing the dilemma, "G-Go ahead."

Chloe sighed, "You don't have to, I'll let Aubrey know and-"

"It-It's ok," Beca assured her, "If-f I kn-know it's c-c-com-ming, I-I'll b-b-be f-fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhmm."

"Ok," she agreed, "Ready?"

Beca took a breath before closing her eyes and nodding. Chloe took the cue and carefully slid the bag over her head once again. She gave the girl a minute to adjust before she reached out and took her hand once again. She felt a small twitch of surprise in the hand at first contact but then it closed around her own as well.

She took a few steps and pulled on Beca's hand to encourage her to follow. Feeling the girl's hesitant steps as they moved towards the door, Chloe gave her hand an extra squeeze.

"Don't worry; I won't let anything happen to you."

Beca kept her eyes closed and focused on her breathing as she allowed herself to be led blindly. Hearing Chloe's words, though, Beca realized she wasn't worried. She believed her.

 **X**

 **X**

 **X**

 **X**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey guys! This one is just a bit shorter than I usually do but I really like how this one went and where it ended. I actually love the ending, *NERDALERT I actually smiled while writing it*. A few building blocks come in to start setting themselves up in this one.**

 **Hope you guys like it!**

 **Ch. 9**

Aubrey and Chloe stood in front of the group in the darkened auditorium. Aubrey made a mental note to talk to her co-captain later about her showing up late with Beca, but for now, she would let it go and finish initiating in all the new Bella's. The girls in front of them were currently repeating back the sacred oath to them.

The blonde zeroed her eyes in on each of them individually as they did so. After a moment, she noticed something that took precedence to her over talking to Chloe about her tardiness. Once they were done reciting, Aubrey clapped her hands together.

"Congratulations ladies, you are now officially Barden Bella's," she announced, "Now you'll follow Chloe out and enjoy the celebration that follows all acapella inductions. But however hard you decide to party, it is your responsibility to be here at 9am sharp. If you're late, you will be expected to turn in your scarves. I won't tolerate tardiness, especially for the first rehearsal. Understood?"

After receiving confirmation from all of them that they did understand, she turned to the redhead at her side, "Chloe."

The other senior looked at her with confusion for a moment. It was routine that captains led their new groups out to the Hood Night party; she wasn't sure why Aubrey was asking her to do it on her own. Especially knowing how strict the other girl was about traditions. However, she figured there was a reason and she would ask about it once they were out there.

Chloe smiled brightly at the group and spoke enthusiastically, "All right Bella's, follow me!"

As they began to filter out after her, Aubrey spoke again.

"Beca," she called, "Hang back for a second."

The brunette looked back at the leaving group before approaching the captain nervously. Aubrey waited until the short girl was in front of her and everyone else was gone before she started talking.

"You didn't take the oath," she stated.

"I…" the freshman gestured behind her where they had all been standing during initiation.

"You pretended to," Aubrey replied, seeing the guilty look come over the girl who knew she was busted.

"I'm-I'm s-s-sorr-ry," she forced out the apology as her nerves took over.

She looked down at the scarf she'd begun nervously twisting in her hands. Swallowing at the dryness in her throat, she looked back up at the blonde and held out the scarf for her to take.

Aubrey looked at it and lifted her eyebrows before moving her eyes back to the girl's face.

"Are you quitting?"

Taken back by the question, Beca answered, "N-No, I th-th-thought…"

She let her sentence hang rather than try to force it out and possibly irritate the other girl until Aubrey caught on to what she meant.

"You thought I was kicking you out?"

Beca nodded and the senior put her hand on the still extended one holding the scarf and pushed it back towards her.

"I'm not kicking you out," she assured her.

Beca was surprised when she felt relief at the statement. She hadn't realized that she actually did want to be there until she thought she was getting the boot.

"Listen, I know I can come off as a bitch, and that's because I _can_ be a bitch, and likely will a lot in the future. It's because I care about the Bella's; as a group and as individuals. So, let's address this now while we're away from everyone," she paused and saw how Beca shifted her weight from foot to foot anxiously, "You stutter."

Beca nodded.

"It's pretty prominent," she went on, getting another nod from the girl, "Have you ever worked with a speech therapist?"

Beca shook her head.

"Never?"

Beca shook her head again, to which Aubrey replied.

"You can talk to me, Beca," she advised, "You can take your time; I'm not going to get impatient or criticize you for trying. Have you ever considered seeing someone?"

Beca cleared her throat and looked down as she began twisting the scarf again.

"In-In sc-sc-school the t-teach-cher…" she paused and cleared her throat again and took a breath, "tr-tried t-to, b-bu-but my d-d-d-da-dad s-said nno."

As promised, when Beca looked back up at her captain, she saw no hint of impatience or annoyance. She did see what she thought was sympathy, which was unexpected. On Aubrey's end, she couldn't help but take notice that the stutter became worse when she mentioned her father.

The blonde let out a sigh and moved to guide the two of them to some of the chairs nearby.

"Ok, she started, "here's what we'll do. I'll sit here with you while you say the oath, because you have to be sworn in to be a Bella, and then we'll go to the party. Tomorrow, if you want, I'll call my father for the number of a family friend who works in the city. He's a speech therapist; he helped my cousin with his stutter when he was a kid."

Beca couldn't hide her shock at the offer. It was the last thing she was expecting, from anyone, let alone the abrasive woman she'd met at the activities fair. She was speechless and for once it wasn't because of her issue talking.

"Ok?"

Beca nodded, certain that her enthusiasm was evident.

"Ok," Aubrey smiled, "Now repeat after me: I, sing your name…"

X

* * *

X

Chloe was sitting on one of the higher level stone bleachers, barely touched drink in hand as her eyes scanned over the crowd. It had been almost 45 minutes since they'd joined the pool and Aubrey and Beca still hadn't come out yet.

She was worried about what was keeping them. The redhead only hoped Aubrey wasn't giving the girl a hard time for being late. If she was that upset about it, Chloe needed to be the one she talked to.

Chloe sat up straighter when she noticed someone had come and stood in front of her. She looked up and recognized him as Beca's friend from auditions who told her where she could find the girl.

"Hey, Chloe, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, and you're Jesse; Beca's friend," she replied getting a nod in response, "Thanks for the other day. After auditions."

"No problem," he answered and then pointed to the bench beside her, "Can I?"

"Sure."

He took a seat and made sure not to sit too close to the girl. A quiet moment settled between them as he looked into his half empty cup before speaking.

"I'm kind of surprised Beca's not here," he admitted, "You guys didn't take her?"

"No, we did; she's a Bella," Chloe answered, "She's just talking to our other captain for a minute."

"Oh, ok," he said with a nod, "Good."

He tapped his fingers against the outside of his cup.

"Listen, I don't know if you know about her, um…thing."

"Her thing?"

"You know, she's got a … she-"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Good, you know. I just, she's my friend and, no offense, but your other captain, she has a bit of a reputation for being kind of a …hard ass."

Chloe scoffed, knowing full well the kind of reputation her friend had on campus.

"Sorry, I don't want to be rude or anything. I just want to know, with how she is, how Beca is," he went on and sighed, "I guess, I just want to know someone's looking out for her."

Though he seemed to be coming from a good place, Chloe couldn't help but bristle at his comment.

"Aubrey isn't Bumper," she remarked, referencing the Treblemaker's captain, "She can be tough when it comes to practices, but she's not cruel."

"Sorry, I'm not trying to accuse anyone of anything," he apologized again, "I'm sorry. I just want to make sure my friend is going to be ok."

"Just your friend?" Chloe found herself asking.

"What?"

"You just see her as a friend?" she asked, "Or maybe you want something more?"

Jesse looked surprised at the question.

"Um, I, uh…" he started, tripping over his words. He glanced back down into his cup and Chloe saw it as the answer to her question.

She chuckled humorlessly and swirled her drink around.

"Yeah," she said softly, getting the confirmation to what she'd suspected.

Jesse turned his brown eyes towards her and asked his own question.

"You?"

Chloe clicked her tongue and tilted her head a bit, giving her own answer.

"Well," he began and looked back out at the crowd as he addressed her, "this is awkward."

"Yep," she replied, popping the 'p' at the end of the word. The tension hung between the two as they both realized what they had in common. She held her cup out to the side towards him, "To an awkward year."

Jesse nodded and reached over to bump his cup against hers and the two simultaneously took deep gulps of their drinks. The new Treble glanced over his shoulder and instantly rose when he saw Beca and Aubrey coming down the stairs.

"Beca, hey!" he greeted, a bit louder than he meant to.

Chloe stood as well and faced them. Jesse wiped his hands on his jeans before putting on his goofy smile and forcing away any of the awkwardness he'd felt during his sort of conversation with the redhead.

"Do my eyes deceive me or are you a Barden Bella?" he asked playfully.

Beca grinned and nodded in return. She looked to Aubrey for a moment, then back to him.

"Yeah."

"Look at that, I'm an aca-boy and you're an aca-girl," he said lightly, feeling the eyes of the other two women on him, "Can I get you a drink? Get you on this level?"

"Shut it down, Treble," Aubrey interjected, "I'm sure your head Neanderthal explained the rules to you. Now run along."

Jesses looked at the blonde a moment and then back to Beca. He'd hoped she'd say something against what the woman had said, but she seemed to be ok with it. Probably because she didn't want to cause waves after just getting into the group; at least that's what he told himself.

"Right," he started, looking down at his drink again and then back up, "I'll, uh, I'll see you at the station tomorrow."

Beca gave him a small smile and nod in agreement. The boy nodded as well and cast a glance at Chloe, raising his glass a bit in acknowledgement of their earlier conversation and walked away.

"What was that about?" Aubrey asked, seeing the small exchange between the two.

"Nothing to worry about," she answered vaguely, "Everything ok? What kept you guys?"

"Just going over some additional details. It's all sorted," Aubrey now, choosing a nonspecific answer to her best friend's question.

Chloe looked questioningly at her roommate who returned it with a look that she hoped would convey her intent to discuss it later.

"I'm going to make sure no other Trebles are circling the newbies."

The two watched her leave before Chloe turned to Beca.

"Are you really ok?" she asked, "She didn't give you a hard time about being late, did she?"

"N-No," Beca answered with a smirk, "She w-was n-nice."

Chloe blew out a breath of relief.

"Oh good," the senior spoke, her concerns vanishing at the assurance, "Well, I was kind of waiting to make sure you were ok after everything tonight before getting into the party. But you're here now, so how about that drink?"

"Y-You go ah-ahead," she told her and shrugged, "I'm act-actually t-t-tired aft-after ev-ev-everyth-thing."

"Oh, you want to head home?" Chloe asked for clarification.

"Yeah."

"Ok, I'll walk you to your dorm."

"Yo-You d-don't h-ha…have t-to," Beca told her.

"I know," Chloe smiled brightly, "I want to."

Beca found herself grinning as well.

"Ok."

Chloe left her cup on the bleacher and walked up the steps with the girl. The duo was unaware of the set of disappointed brown eyes watching them leave together.

Once they were on the sidewalk walking side by side, Beca took a breath and, feeling uncharacteristically daring after the positive turn the night took, purposely moved her hand to make slight contact with Chloe's.

She felt her pinky brush against the warmth of the other girl's skin and her heart sped up at the touch. She couldn't see the smile that came to Chloe's face at the action, but she did feel when, a second later, the other girl's hand slid fully into hers.

Neither girl outwardly acknowledging it as their fingers entwined together while they walked towards Baker Hall. Beca kept her head down, having no other way to fight the threatening smile.

"Hey Beca?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad I met you."

X

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	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello all my friendly friends! Who's having a good week so far? I've had a very strange few weeks myself, but no worries! I'm alive, I'm healthy (more or less) and I'm still here for the Bechloe. Also WHOA! 100 reviews! Thank you all so much!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy this one. Things are starting to move along…dun dun duuuuun.**

 **Ch. 10**

Beca had been nervous about what to expect from rehearsals, but as the day went on she felt more and more like her nerves were unnecessary. The cardio wasn't all that fun, but it was a good outlet for her nervous energy at the start of the practice. She enjoyed the vocal exercises since singing was the only time she sound normal; _felt_ normal.

Then there was the choreography, which she was pretty awful at. But her lack of coordination did mean Chloe spent extra time up close to help her. The redhead stood with body flush against Beca's back and her soft hands circled around her wrists. The gentle touch of her hold was enough to erase the memory of all the times it had been a rough grip in the same spot from her father, more or less, dragging her from place to place. The warmth of the other body against hers sent her heart racing. Yes, choreography was definitely her favorite part of the day.

When Aubrey called an end to rehearsal for the day, the group of girls around her let out collective sighs of relief. As everyone gathered their belongings and bags, Fat Amy declared she was ready for pizza and it was echoed among the rest of the new Bella's. Beca quietly packed up her own bag as she heard them all make plans to go together. She felt a familiar pang of longing that often came whenever she'd hear or see a group of friends like that.

She wasn't one who got invited to join groups and it had always been that way. Through school she was always the quiet and 'weird' girl, so having friends wasn't exactly a constant for her; not that the desire wasn't there. However, she could already say she'd improved; she had friends there with Chloe and Jesse. Or at least she considered them both her friends; she wasn't completely confident what either of them might call it. Regardless, she told herself not to get down on that fact that the other girls didn't want her to –

"Hey Beca!"

She looked up at the sound of her name and saw some of the girls already making their way out and Fat Amy and Stacie were waiting and looking at her. When they had her attention, Amy spoke.

"We're all gonna go murder some pizzas, you coming?"

Beca was sure her shock was obvious on her face.

They were inviting her?

Before she could answer, however, Aubrey also called out to her from where she stood near the whiteboard.

"Beca, hang back for a minute."

"Ooh," Amy winced as if the request were a death sentence, "Good luck with that, Shortstack."

"Come join us when you're done, alright? The pizza place just off campus," Stacie informed her as they left as well.

Beca watched them go for a minute before turning around and approaching the blonde captain who was now on her way over to the piano. When she was near, Aubrey was reaching into her bag that sat on top of the piano back. From within, she pulled out a yellow post-it and held it out for the freshman.

"This is the contact information for Dr. Baylor," she informed, as Beca glanced over the handwritten name, phone number and email, "I already talked to him to let him know you might be contacting him, but it's up to you. If you want to set something up, just call and let him know I gave you his name. He also accepts appointment setups by email for people who aren't comfortable speaking on the phone. Ok?"

Beca nodded; still undecided whether she would seek the man's help or not. Of course she wanted to, but the fear lingered that her father might find out and be angry about it. Then again, if he did find out, it was possible it wouldn't be for a while and maybe by then she'd have made some progress?

"Th-Thank y-you," she told Aubrey as she slipped the post-it into her own bag.

"You're welcome."

With that said, Beca turned to leave, but was stopped by her captain once again.

"Oh and Beca," the voice had her turn back around, "You will have to take out those ear monstrosities for our performances, understood?"

Beca was slightly taken back by the sudden change in tone, but recalled Aubrey's warning. When it came to the Bella's, she wasn't afraid to be what one might call a bitch. So Beca decided not to take it personally and just nodded in agreement. With that, she made her way out of the auditorium, surprised to see someone waiting for her.

"Hey," Chloe greeted, pushing away from where she was leaning against the building, "Everything ok? What did Aubrey say?"

Beca nodded with a small grin; she found herself smiling more in the days since she met Chloe than any other time she could remember.

"Y-yeah. All g-good."

"Ok, cool," Chloe responded and made a note for herself to ask her friend about it later, "I thought we could go to the pizza place together."

At the suggestion, the redhead smiled brightly and held out her hand. Beca felt herself smile in return and easily slid her hand into Chloe's.

X

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X

Warren had already left for campus by the time Sheila got up. It wasn't the first time she'd opened her eyes in the morning to find him already gone, but it felt different. Since she'd confronted him about the pressure he put on his daughter, there was an unaddressed tension between the couple.

She didn't want to cause a rift or criticize his parenting when she did know, even in his own way, that he did want what was best for Beca. However, Sheila couldn't help but see the negative effects of his methods on Beca. She'd thought the girl just shy when she'd first met her, but the more time she'd spent around her the more she realized it was something deeper.

Even in her own house, the girl was like a ghost; silently moving from room to room living a quiet existence. In all the time she'd known her, Sheila could count on her fingers the times she'd actually heard Beca speak. When she had, the blonde woman felt a combination of understanding and heartbreak for her silence. She tried, God did Sheila try, to connect with her on the hopes that Beca would feel comfortable enough to communicate more and know that the woman wasn't going to judge or come down on her. Unfortunately, all her efforts went exactly nowhere.

She often wondered if it was partly due to some seeded resentment that Sheila was trying to replace her mother; which was the last thing she intended to do to the girl. She had broached the subject a few times during her relationship with Warren, but all he'd say about his former wife was that she'd died when Beca was a baby.

He was always vague and clearly reluctant to talk about the woman or the circumstances that caused her death. She'd also noticed that there were no photos of her anywhere on display. It was like she'd never existed. She worried that, perhaps, he also refused information about the woman to Beca as well. If she was that young when her mother passed, she only had Warren to rely on for information about her.

Sheila was very aware that she wasn't a parent, specifically she wasn't Beca's parent, but she didn't agree with that at all. The girl should know who her mother was. She was certain that having that sort of hole in her life was undoubtedly a contributor to the girl's issues. It would have to be.

With a sigh, Sheila decided to try to do something for Beca in that regard. She just hoped it wouldn't cause more harm than good.

While she wasn't one hundred percent sure what she could do or where to start, she remembered the attic of the house. Warren had mentioned it was basically used for storage for things he didn't need or had no place for. With no other place to start, and knowing she had the house to herself for the majority of the day, Shelia went to the hall upstairs and pulled down the drop ladder. She was immediately bombarded with the stuffy air in the dusty room.

She wasn't sure how long she'd spent up there going through boxes and boxes of stuff; old clothes, Christmas decorations, trinkets and even a couple of old school trophies with Warren's name on them.

Eventually she came across a buried box with cobwebbed corners. She pulled it out and immediately shook her hands of the unpleasantness that transferred from the box onto her in the process. She grimaced at the feeling of it on her skin, but went forward with her search and opened the box.

Her eyes lit up in reward at the first item sitting on top. A wedding photo.

She picked it up carefully and inspected it for a moment; a much younger Warren smiling as he exited a church with a bright brunette on his arm. The two looked absolutely happy.

She put it aside and continued to go through the box. She discovered several more photographs from the wedding as well as just pictures of the two of them together. She couldn't help but admire the woman; Beca's mother was beautiful.

She set aside a couple pictures she thought Beca might like, but paused when she came across a gorgeous picture that stole her breath away. The same woman from all the others, holding a sleeping infant who couldn't be more than a couple weeks old at the point the picture was taken. Even though she was looking down at the baby in her arms, her wide smile and tear glistened eyes were clearly visible to the camera.

The photo captured pure love.

Sheila carefully slid the picture into her back pocket, deciding she would get that one to Beca right away.

The next thing she found was a folder which she opened. The first page visible was a birth certificate that she started skimming over.

 _Name: Rebecca Elizabeth Mitchell_

 _Born: 3:23 A.M. 9_ _th_ _of August_

 _Father: Warren Francis Mitchell_

 _Mother: Elizabeth Anne Mitchell_

Beca had her mother's name in hers; that was a nice thing for her to know if she didn't already. Did she know her mother's name? Would he go that far to bury the memory to not even tell his daughter her mother's name? She shook her head, dismissing the thought and went to look through the rest of the pages in the folder. Before she could go to the next one, however, she heard the familiar hum of the garage door motor.

How long had she been up there?

Quickly, Sheila put everything back, slid the box back where she'd found it and hurried back down the ladder. She had just managed to wipe off the dust that had accumulated on her clothing when she heard the door open and Warren step in and call her name.

She greeted him and offered to prepare some food, already knowing she wouldn't mention anything that she'd found to Warren; not yet anyway. She just had a feeling that it wouldn't go over well. So she made a mental note to take the next chance she had to look through it some more.

While Warren went upstairs to change out of his suit from work, Sheila quickly grabbed a small book of the shelf, not really caring which one it was, and slid the photograph into it for safer keeping that wouldn't bend or tear it before putting the book into her purse. She grabbed her phone, about to send Beca a message asking for a time they could meet for coffee soon, when the man came back.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she dismissed, quickly putting her phone into her purse, "Just client stuff, nothing immediate."

He only nodded and gave her a routine kiss on the cheek as he passed by.

X

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X

Beca was reading over the email for the tenth time, still debating on whether or not to hit send. She ran her hands through her hair, giving it a small tug as the same arguments went back and forth inside her head.

A quick knock came before her door opened and Chloe let herself in; something which Beca found she really didn't mind even though they'd just seen each other a few hours ago. She also found herself wanting to smile as Chloe gave her a little wave before practically skipping across the room and hopping up to land on her bed with a bounce.

"What are you doing?" she asked enthusiastically, leaning forward a bit but pulling back when she realized it was a personal email.

Beca's first instinct was to close the laptop and hide the still unsent message from Chloe. However, and she wasn't even truly sure why, instead she took a breath and turned the computer towards her to allow her to read it.

"You're going to see a speech therapist?" Chloe questioned, nearly following it up with ' _That's great!'_ , but something in Beca's demeanor had her holding that back.

"M-maybe," her indecision evident, "D-Do you th-think I sh-shhould?"

Chloe knew she needed to be careful in her answer. The girl before her seemed to have very little control over most decisions in her life. So she definitely didn't want to make her feel as though she was going to push the decision on her.

"I think," Chloe started, grabbing the arms of the chair Beca sat in and turning it towards her. She rolled it closer so her legs were on either side of Beca's, encasing her between them, "you should do what makes you happy. What would make you happy, Beca?"

Beca looked down at her hands for a few seconds, fiddling with her fingers.

"To b-be able t-to t-talk," she answered, "T-to t-tel-tell y-you…"

Chloe's curiosity peeked as Beca trailed off. She reached over and covered one of Beca's hands with her own.

"Hey," she spoke softly, waiting for Beca to look up at her, "Tell me what?"

When she saw Beca was still hesitant to keep going, Chloe went on, "You can tell me anything. I hope you know that."

Beca took a breath.

"I w-want t-to be ab-able to t-tell y-you, r-real- _really_ te-tell you," she paused and looked into the electric blue eyes before her, "y-you're b-beaut-beautif-ful."

Chloe's heart filled to burst at the words. Hearing them from Beca, spoken so honestly, it meant more than hearing a million perfectly spoken compliments from anyone else. She could feel tears welling behind her eyes.

"Beca," she began, almost reverently, and leaned forward, sliding one hand to rest against the brunette's neck; her thumb stroking the line of her jaw, "Oh Beca, _you're_ beautiful. You're so beautiful and talented and amazing. I know that about you and I'll still believe it whether or not you decide to go. Whatever you want to do, I'm with you one hundred percent, I swear. Ok?"

Beca sniffed and nodded in response, her own emotions clearly becoming present.

Chloe kept her gaze on her while her thumb continued its movements over her smooth skin. She scooted forward, the position of their legs would've allowed her to easily slide onto Beca's lap if she wanted to.

"Beca," she whispered.

The brunette swallowed nervously and matched Chloe's low volume.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Please stop me if you don't want this."

With those words, Chloe closed the space between their lips. It was tentative at first, giving Beca the opportunity to pull away if she wanted. After a moment, when Beca didn't pull away and instead started kissing back, Chloe put more into the kiss, bringing her other hand to mirror the one on the other side of Beca's neck.

She felt Beca's hands rest on her sides before they slowly slid down to her hips where they gripped her. After a few seconds, the hands on her hips urged her forward and Chloe found her body agreeing and moving to sit on Beca's lap just as the thought that had flickered so quickly through her mind. She felt those hands going up and down her back and she continued to taste Beca and breathe her in.

She'd admit she was expecting that she'd be taking the lead in the kiss, assuming Beca would allow it, but apparently there was a surge of confidence within Beca that was brought out.

Not that she was complaining.

X

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	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Apologies for taking a million years. This one is a longer one for sure and my spellcheck definitely hates me for it. Here you go!**

* * *

 **Ch 11**

Chloe pulled back with a hum and smiled, her hands resting on the back of the girl's neck while she remained perched on her lap.

"I have to admit," she began, letting her fingers play with hair at the nape of the brunette's neck, "I wasn't expecting that."

Beca's brow furrowed at the statement.

"Oh," she replied and looked down, removing her hands from where they'd been on Chloe's back, "W-Was it n-n-not go-good?"

"No!" Chloe answered quickly, hurrying to erase her worry, "No, it was great. Believe me, it was fantastic. I just wasn't expecting you to be so…" she thought a moment before pushing herself against her a bit more, "…enthusiastic."

Beca took in a shaky breath as she felt the girl press against her.

"I've b-b-been w-wanting t-to do-do th-that ffor a w-while," Beca confessed; their position and the warmth of Chloe on and against her was fogging her brain.

"Well, for future reference, you can do that any time you want," Chloe told her with a smile.

"Yeah?" she asked with a smile of her own.

"Oh yeah," the redhead nodded.

"L-Like now?"

Chloe laughed at how cute Beca looked as she asked the question.

"Definitely."

Beca's hands slid over the girl's things and moved up her hips to settle on her lower back; urging her forward as Chloe leaned in once more. Just as they were close enough to feel each other's breath dancing over their lips, Beca's phone rang, interrupting the moment. Chloe chuckled and dropped her head onto the freshman's collar.

"Or you could see who that is."

Beca groaned and leaned back, keeping one arm wrapped around Chloe to keep her in place while she reached behind them to grab her phone from the desk. She looked at the screen and Chloe saw a new look come over her face.

"Who is it?"

"Sh-Shiela," she answered, then elaborated, "M-My dad's g-girlf-friend."

Beca took a moment, wondering why the woman would be calling her. Chloe moved to get off and allow her space while she spoke, but stopped when Beca tightened her hold just enough to show her resistance to the separation.

"H-Hello," she answered a few seconds after connecting the call.

Chloe waited patiently, playing with the dark locks while the girl took her call. After a moment of Beca just listening, she heard her respond to something the woman on the other end had said.

"Y-Yeah, ok. Ok," was all she said, before ending the call.

Beca looked at the phone a minute before tossing it back onto the desktop.

"Everything ok?" Chloe asked, seeing the change that came over the girl's face; she almost looked nervous now.

"Sh-She w-wants t-t-to m-meet f-for lun-lunch."

The redhead tried to read her before asking, "Is that a bad thing?"

Beca shrugged, "D-Don't kn-know. WWe d-don't real-really t-t-talk."

"Well, did she say why?"

Beca shook her head, remaining quiet. Chloe rubbed the brunette's arm before getting up and moving to sit on the bed once more.

"Are you going?"

Beca shrugged and looked to be deep in thought for a little while. She wrung her hands as she debated voicing the sudden thought that had come to her.

"W-Would you c-c-come wit-with mme?"

The other girl was taken back by the invitation; her face, no doubt, showing her surprise.

"You want me to come to lunch with you and your dad's girlfriend?"

"N-N-Neverm-min-mind," Beca backtracked immediately, realizing what a strange request it was.

They barely knew each other. Sure, they'd seen each other naked and had just shared a kiss that left anything Beca could have imagined far behind in the dust. But what did that mean, though? Chloe had said they could kiss whenever she wanted, but the girl could just enjoy kissing. It didn't mean she wanted to get dragged into Beca's awkward family set up. Even if they were together at that point, asking Chloe to meet what was, more or less, a parental figure would be really soon.

She wished she could properly explain herself to Chloe. She desperately wanted to tell her that she felt so much comfort just from Chloe's presence; even if that comfort was mixed with a fair bit of anxiety to not make a complete fool of herself.

With a sigh, she spun in her chair back to the desk and opened her laptop back up. She stared at the waiting email, wondering if there would be any point; if he could even help.

While she went back and forth on the subject in her mind, she didn't hear Chloe get off the mattress. Beca was only pulled out of her mental debate when she felt a set of arms slide down over her shoulders and wrap loosely around her.

"Hey," Chloe's voice came softly at her ear, "I'd love to come, as long as you're sure."

Beca nodded, still looking forward at the screen.

"Ok, sounds great."

The freshman sighed and soon felt Chloe's lips gently press against her neck. The small action seemed to encourage the girl who took a breath and sent the email before she could change her mind. When Chloe saw what she'd done, she squeezed her arms around her a bit tighter and pressed another kiss against her skin.

"I'm proud of you," she told her, feeling Beca shudder as she spoke into her ear. The redhead then decided to change the subject and spun the chair around so she was facing the girl again, "You know, it'd be kind of weird to meet your family before we've even gone on a date."

Beca furrowed her brows, waiting for the senior to continue and Chloe grinned at the look on her face.

"Got any plans tonight?"

"Um, w-what?"

"I want to take you on a date, Beca Mitchell. Our first."

Beca glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten. She gestured to the time, but Chloe just shrugged.

"It's ok. I've got something in mind; a place that never closes.

Beca thought it over for barely a second before agreeing. Chloe clapped excitedly before grabbing Beca's hand and happily leading her out of the room.

Several hours later Beca and Chloe were sitting on the edge of the roundabout at a park playground, the wrappers from their individual ice creams, purchased at a gas station on the way, lay beside them on the metal. The simple outing might not have been considered a great first date, or a date at all, to some people, but Beca couldn't have asked for a better one. The two had spent the night just talking and learning about one another. It was the first time anyone seemed genuinely interested in knowing about her; asking her questions and actually waiting patiently while she stumbled through her answers.

It was just before 2am when they were heading back; walking hand in hand towards Baker Hall. Chloe swung their hands between them as they approached the building.

"I hope I didn't keep you out so late you hate me when you wake up."

Beca chuckled.

"I'll just h-hate the s-sun like every oth-other m-morning," Beca remarked getting a laugh from the other girl.

Beca pulled their joined hands up to put a kiss on the back of Chloe's. The girl beamed and gave Beca's hand an extra squeeze in response.

"You know," she began as they approached Beca's door, "for someone who doesn't talk a lot, I think you say more than anyone I've ever known."

"S-Sure."

"I'm serious," Chloe told her, wanting to pre-empt the insecurity or self-doubt before it could start, "You do. I love that about you."

Beca's ears perked at the word 'love' coming from Chloe's mouth. She knew Chloe wasn't saying she loved her, but even so, it got a reaction from her. She felt her begin to burn and knew without needing a mirror that they were beginning to blush. She awkwardly shrugged again in response to the words and then gestured to the door behind her.

"G-Guess I sh-should…" she began, letting the rest of it hang, knowing Chloe would understand.

"Right," Chloe agreed, reaching over to grab Beca's hand again and gave her a coy grin, "If you wanted, you _could_ kiss me goodni-"

Her word was cut off by Beca's lips suddenly pressing against hers. It lasted a few seconds and Chloe felt herself smiling into the kiss. When they parted, the redhead brightly smiled again.

"Goodnight," she told her, putting a soft kiss on Beca's cheek.

"Night," Beca answered, watching Chloe walk away before entering her dorm.

The next morning, Beca had tiredly pulled herself out of bed. She felt dead on her feet, even after drinking the largest energy drink the campus store had to offer.

As exhausted as she was though, Beca didn't regret the night before. She couldn't; not when the memory of Chloe's taste still lingered on her lips when she woke. She knew Chloe had been surprised by the vigor Beca had shown during their first kiss. But she truly couldn't help herself. There were so many things Beca wanted to say to Chloe.

The way her heart sped up when she looked into her beautiful eyes. How her fingers would twitch with the urge to run them through her hair, even while across the room from each other. That the patience she showed during their conversations was so amazing it nearly brought her to tears when she got home that first night after their tutor session and coffee date. There was so much she wanted to say and because she couldn't tell her adequately with her words, she showed her. She put everything she had into showing her.

Her phone buzzed with a text as she took her seat for her morning lecture. When she saw it was from Chloe she anxiously opened it.

 _Can't believe u kept me out so late *wink*_

Beca smiled to herself upon reading it.

 _That's me. Party animal. Think you can handle it?_

A response came back immediately.

 _If last night is any indication, I'll let you do the HANDLING_

Beca felt the heat in her face that she'd begun to associate with her body reacting to Chloe. She tried to type up several different responses, but was unsure how she should to that. Should she try flirting back? She wasn't sure if she could. She didn't have much practice with doing so. However it seemed the problem was solved for her when another text appeared.

 _You're cute when you're blushing._

For a second, Beca wondered if Chloe could see her, and quickly glanced around the classroom. She realized, though, that the girl was just teasing her again and started to type.

 _Is that so?_

Chloe then sent an emoji blowing a kiss followed quickly by another message.

 _In class?_

 _Unfortunately_

 _Then enough texting. Pay attention._

 _But it's going to be so BORING!_

 _That's an order from your tutor, Mitchell._

Beca knew her smile couldn't be contained if she tried now and was responding before she could second guess herself.

 _But if I don't, my tutor has to work with me even more._

Chloe sent a smiling emoji next to a heart followed by:

 _I'll see you for lunch weirdo._

Beca agreed, still smiling as the two exchanged details on getting together after their respective classes and where they'd be meeting Sheila.

After a lecture that was entirely too long in her opinion, and getting assigned some course work, Beca was finally released from her only class of the day. She was making her way across the quad where she would meet Chloe outside the science building, as they planned, so they could then walk together to the diner for lunch. She was nearly there when she heard her name being called.

Turning around, she saw Jesse jogging up the sidewalk towards her.

"Hey," he greeted as he came to stop in front of her, "I was hoping I'd run into you today. I haven't seen you since Hood Night. How've you been?"

"Ok," she shrugged in response; mentally recalling that he was making it sound as though it had been weeks or months rather than just a couple days.

"Cool," he nodded a couple times, awkwardly fiddling with the strap of his bag. He then perked up as if remembering something, "I have something for you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he swung his bag around and pulled something out before handing it to her.

"A m-movie?"

She questioned with confusion since she remembered that she'd let him know she wasn't a big fan of them. She flipped the case over to see the front; The King's Speech.

"Yeah, it's the one I told you about. It's great; it won a bunch of Academy Awards," he paused seeing she didn't exactly return his excitement at the selling point, "Anyway, I figured you might enjoy it."

"Um, ok. Th-Thanks," she responded politely.

"Yeah sure," he looked down at his shoes briefly before returning his eyes to her, "I thought, you know, maybe we could even watch it together. Maybe this weekend?"

"Um, I d-d-don't-"

"I know you said you're not really into movies. I just kind of thought, you know, you might be interested in this one because of the story. You know 'cause…" he saw Beca grimace at his meaning and quickly moved on, "But we could watch something else. Or I mean we could do something else instead of watch a movie; grab dinner or whatever you want. What do you say?"

"Oh," she voiced in surprise; she wasn't expecting that.

Before she had the time to respond, she heard another voice join them.

"Hi guys!"

Beca and Jesse both looked over as Chloe appeared beside them.

"Hi," Beca greeted, already feeling the familiar comfort with Chloe's presence. She already felt herself beginning to smile just at having her near especially after everything they'd shared the previous night.

Chloe smiled back before turning to the other student standing with them. As soon as she'd exited the building and saw Jesse talking to Beca nearby, her mind instantly flashed back to her conversation with him at the party.

"Hi Jesse," she said to him; her voice polite yet tense, knowing the boy was attracted to Beca.

Jesse nodded and took a step back, "Chloe."

The redhead immediately returned her attention to the shorter girl.

"Were you waiting long?"

Beca shook her head, "N-No I j-just got hhere."

"Ok, good."

Jesse looked awkwardly between the two.

"Sorry, do you guys have plans or something?" he asked, looking for a hint of where he might stand.

"Y-Yeah," Beca answered hesitantly, not wanting to divulge too much since she had no idea what would happen or what Sheila wanted. She looked to Chloe and the other girl took her cue and stepped closer, linking her hand with Beca's; a direct move on her part.

"We're going to grab lunch."

"Ok," Jesse nodded, his voice a little more subdued, his eyes not missing Chloe's action or the way Beca responded by returning the hold automatically, "Well, I'll leave you guys to your lunch date, then."

He paused after calling it a date; leaving room for Beca to, hopefully deny it or correct him by saying it wasn't one. When she didn't, he cleared his throat.

"So, uh, have fun," he told them, putting a friendly smile on his face, "Let me know about this weekend, ok?"

Beca nodded and the two watched him leave. The senior looked to Beca questioningly.

"What's going on this weekend?"

"He w-wants t-to ha-hang," Beca responded nonchalantly.

"Oh," Chloe responded as the two started walking towards the diner. Her mind loudly wondering about Jesse's intentions in asking Beca to hang out with him. She would never get in the way of Beca wanting to spend time with a friend, but she couldn't deny that it would be different if the person wasn't obviously pining after her.

She and Jesse had both acknowledged to the other that they had an interest in Beca. Neither had out right declared that they would pursue her, but they also hadn't said they wouldn't. They'd left it pretty open and vague.

"Do you want to?" she forced her voice to remain light in its curiosity; as if she were just interested in her plans.

Beca shrugged, as she often used as a nonverbal response before, to Chloe's relief, she elaborated.

"I d-don't kn-know. There's a lo-lot g-going on."

"Right," Chloe responded as they came to the door of their destination.

She shook off her worry so she could focus solely on being there for Beca. The other girl's nervousness was clear in the way her hand had tightened around Chloe's as they approached the entrance.

"You ready?"

The brunette let out a breath before nodding and the girls entered. Chloe scanned the fairly full eatery until Beca pointed to a blonde woman sitting in a corner booth. As they approached, the woman noticed them and sat up straighter, giving a small wave towards Beca.

Chloe let Beca slide into the booth first before sitting beside her.

"Hi Beca," the woman, who was younger than Chloe was expecting greeted with a smile.

Beca lifted her hand a bit to return the greeting. The woman then cast her eyes to Chloe.

"Hello, I'm Sheila," she introduced herself.

"Chloe," she returned brightly.

"Sorry, I didn't realize Beca was bringing her…"

"Friend," Chloe filled in for her when she let it hang; unsure of how Beca saw them or what she would want this woman to know.

Sheila smiled wide at the knowledge that Beca was making friends. She'd admit that it was something she wondered, well worried, about with Beca being on campus by herself. Having seen the way she'd been in high school, at least the last year of it since Sheila had known her, she was glad the girl seemed to be connecting to others now.

"Great to meet you," she told her honestly before turning back to her boyfriend's daughter, "How've you been Beca? Settling in ok?"

Beca nodded.

Sheila was a little disappointed that Beca wasn't responding verbally to her. The girl rarely had during their past interactions; she'd just hoped that it would have improved some.

"Well," she began and cleared her throat, "I'm sure you're curious why I wanted to see you so quickly."

Beca only nodded again.

"Ok, first of all, please know I don't mean to cross any boundaries. Anyway, I went looking through some old boxes in the attic and…well I found something I thought you might like to have."

Beca lifted her brows curiously, Chloe beside her was yet again intrigued by the amount of communication Beca was able to practice without her words. Though the thought that she felt she'd _had_ to was enough to cause a slight tightness in the redhead's chest and she placed a comforting hand on her thigh underneath the table.

However, Beca didn't respond to the action as her attention was focused the woman across from them. She watched as Sheila pulled a book out of her bag. Beca began to wonder what sort of book her dad might've had in the attic that Sheila would think Beca would like, but the woman then pulled something out from where it had been pressed between the pages.

Beca accepted it and felt Chloe lean closer to look as well. The younger girl found herself staring at a photograph; a photograph of a pretty woman, smiling brightly down at the baby she held in her arms.

"I-Is-Is th-that…?" her voice weakened as she stared at the woman in picture. She was barely able to tear her eyes from it in order to see Sheila nod to answer her.

The woman felt her eyes burn as Beca sat across form her with a reverent look on her face while she gazed down at the picture. She had been nervous that her actions would be seen as cross the line, but seeing Beca's reaction now told her she had made the right choice. Chloe, felt as though she were witnessing an intimate moment sitting beside Beca.

"Who is she?" she asked quietly so as not to shatter the moment. Beca touched her fingers lightly to the glossy surface; tracing the image of the woman's face as her voice came in a whisper.

"My mom."

Chloe had never heard the other girl mention her mother. When she said it was her dad's girlfriend who wanted to meet, of course she realized her parents weren't together. However she'd only assumed that they were divorced, but judging by her reaction to this photograph that it was more than that.

Beca felt a lump in her throat as she stared at the image of the woman in her hand; she'd never seen a picture of her mother before. They'd never been up around the house as she grew up. When she was a child and had asked if her dad had any he had told her they had been ruined shortly after Beca was born when a pipe burst in the apartment above theirs and had flooded their own. She'd spent so many years wondering about the woman. She used to look in the mirror and wonder what aspects of her mother she wore on her own face. Now she had this.

She managed pulled her watery gaze away from the picture and cast them to the woman across from her.

"Th-Thank y-you," she said; her voice stronger than before.

Sheila smiled warmly at the girl; her own tears welling. Her heart leapt at the feeling that, for the first time in a year, she felt as though she was connecting with Beca.

"You're very welcome," the woman replied, "There's more, if you like, I can bring you others too."

Beca nodded; this time her lack of speech due only to the emotions soaring through her.

"Great," Sheila answered and then decided to lighten the move and, hopefully continue to build a relationship with the girl, "Let's get some lunch, huh?"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi everyone! Apologies for the little gap in updates, I had a cluster of time stealing things going on, but thankfully it's done and I'll have more time to spend updating this as well as adding installments to my two shot series. ANNND I've got another cool story idea I'm pretty jazzed about. So, keep your eyes open for the future works of me!**

 **Sidenote: I did have to go to a speech therapist when I was a child, however it was to a lesser extent than what Beca here is going for. Full disclosure, my teacher recommended it to my parents after I was born in the states, learned to talk, then moved overseas, learned to talk in a new language, then moved back to the states learning English all over again, I had issues with my pronunciation of some words. Anyway, my little 6 year old experience with speech therapy was the doctor and me playing board games while she asked questions and had me repeat or read sentences for her.**

 **Anyway, obviously Beca's experience will differ from my own.**

* * *

 **Ch. 12**

Beca sat nervously in the waiting area just outside the office door. Her leg bouncing up and down erratically as she waited for her name to be spoken. The girl shook out her hands to fight the urge to wrap them in her hair. Being seen outside a doctor's office tugging at her own hair probably wouldn't make the best impression. She reached in her bag and pulled out the picture Sheila had given her days ago.

At first, she'd intended to get a frame to put it on the desk next to her bed, but she hadn't gone through with it, choosing instead to carry it with her. It had become a calming anchor for her when she could feel her nerves beginning to build. Tracing over the woman's face in the photo, she took some measured breaths to calm herself down. She pulled her eyes away from it when she heard the receptionist call her name. Her dark eyes looked up to the woman at the desk who gave her a kind smile.

"Dr. Baylor is ready for you," she informed her.

Beca licked her lips and nodded; putting away the picture and then wiping her palms on her jeans as she stood up and made her way to the door.

She took another breath at the door before opening the door and taking a moment to just stand in the doorway and observe the room. A middle-aged man stood at the file cabinet, closing a drawer before turning to face her. He wore a pair of thin glasses on his slightly wrinkled face and his graying hair led down to a neatly trimmed, darker beard.

He gave her a smile and waved her in.

"Hello, you must be Beca," when she nodded, he went on, "I'm Dr. Richard Baylor; please close the door and make yourself comfortable."

Beca did as he said and moved to sit on the two-seater couch by the window. He smiled and sat in a chair across from her.

"So, I read your email, obviously, and I'd like to tell you a little bit about what we'll be doing in these sessions, if that's ok with you."

Beca nodded again, rubbing her hands together where they hung between her legs.

"Right, as you know, I work with people with speech difficulties. The first thing I usually do is learn about each person to determine the cause of the issue, be it medical or an underlying psychological issue. Knowing the cause then allows me to determine the best approach for helping. How does that sound?"

Beca nodded again.

"Ok. I understand from your email that you've had a fairly dominate stutter since you were a child. Now I know with it being as strongly present as you described, it's understandable that it's easy to depend on nonverbal responses and communications. I don't blame you for it, but I want you to know this is a safe, comfortable space. I encourage you to speak; there will be no judgements made that aren't conducive to helping you, ok?"

Beca swallowed and cleared her throat, "O-Ok."

He gave her another smile.

"Great, so I want to ask a few questions about you, if you don't mind."

Beca nodded again before remembering herself, "O-Ok."

For a while Dr. Baylor asked her questions about college; what she wanted to study, how she knew Aubrey, how she was enjoying Barden and college in general. Beca managed to answer those questions without too much trouble.

"Alright, how about your family? Any brothers or sisters?"

Beca shook her head, "N-No."

He scribbled a quick note in his book about her being an only child. From what he gathered from the email, as well as the brief conversation with Aubrey, his first guess was that it wasn't a physical issue unless there was some information left out.

"What about your parents; are they still together?"

Beca fiddled with her fingers a few minutes, shaking her head as she looked down at them.

"Um," she cleared her throat again, "M-My m-mom…sh-she-she d…d-died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," another note on his page, "How old were you?"

"Y-Young, a b-ba-baby," she kept her gaze on her fingers as she forced the words out.

"You're not sure?"

She shook her head again.

"M-MMy d-d-dad di-didn't l-l-like to ta-talk ab-b-bout her mmmuch."

"I see, did he tell you how she passed?"

Beca's hand went to her hair, wrapping it around a group of locks and tugging slightly; the familiar pressure grounding her a bit as the topic continued.

"Sh-Sh-She w-was," she cleared her throat, "wa-was k- "

Beca stopped mid-word to take a breath as she felt her eyes start to burn.

"Take your time," he instructed gently.

"Sh-She wa-was k-k-killed," another clearing of her throat, "a rob-robbery."

"I'm sorry, Beca," he said again and wrote in his notes: _Violent Death_ next to where he'd written her admissions about her mother.

"Where were you when she was killed?"

"Out," she answered simply, "w-with mmy d-da-dad."

"So, your father raised you. What was that like growing up?"

Without meaning to, Beca was thrown into random disjointed memories of growing up with her father.

 _The vague memory of leaning against him on the couch, looking down at the book as he read out loud to her. His voice circling her with warmth as the 4 year old cuddled against him._

 _Her dad making her repeat after him. Making her start over at the first hint of stutter. Demanding the 7 year old try harder._

 _Staring down at her desk in the classroom while her teacher met with her father. Trying not to hear her dad rant at her teacher for daring to suggest Beca get some help. But not able to ignore the yelling on the ride home or being dragged by her arm into the house and shoved towards the stairs as he ordered her to her room._

 _All the yelling. Lazy. Stupid. Try harder damn it! No child of mine…_

 _Each shove._

 _Each time he slammed his fist against the table because of her, or threw something at the wall._

 _The first time he used the closet as a tool._

 _Every time after that._

"Beca?"

The brunette jerked in surprise as she heard the doctor call her name.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded quickly.

"S-S-Sorry. C-Ca-Can w-we be-be d-d-done, pl-please?" she asked as fast as she was able to get the words out.

"Of course," he agreed, "I think we've covered enough to start some exercises next time. Stop at the desk and my receptionist will reschedule the next session."

Beca nodded again and made a hasty exit. She made the stop at the desk and scheduled to return the following week; really she just agreed to the first opening the woman suggested so she could leave.

She could feel her hands shaking as she hurried away from the building. The barrage of memories had come unexpectedly and stronger than she would have thought.

Beca wanted to disappear; just curl up somewhere safe and ease her mind. She thought she was taking off in the direction of her dorm, but before she knew it realized she was standing in front of a door that definitely wasn't hers. She brought up a clammy fist and knocked louder than she meant to.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a slightly startled looking Aubrey.

"Beca?" the blonde took in the frazzled look of the new Bella and furrowed her brow, "Are you ok?"

Beca kept her eyes down, nervous to see what the captain's face would display at her teary, weak face.

"I-Is C-Chl-Chloe…" she paused, taking a shuddering breath and swiping her fingers across her eye; cutting off the tear trying to travel out and down.

Aubrey caught enough of the clearly disheveled girl's message to understand what she wanted; what it appeared she needed.

The blonde opened the door wider and stepped back.

"Yeah, come in," she offered, then gestured towards the hall with her hand, "She's in her room."

Beca nodded her thanks and made her way towards the cracked door Aubrey referred to. She knocked lightly and heard a muffled response to come inside. Pushing the door slowly, Beca saw Chloe laid out on her stomach, her head turned on the pillow facing the door.

The redhead squinted at the girl and pushed herself up a bit.

"Beca?" she questioned with sleep laced in her words.

"Oh," Beca responded quietly, realizing she'd woken the girl from a nap, "S-Sorry, I'll-I'll go."

"No, no it's ok," she said rubbing her face and seeing a clearer picture of the girl in her room, "What's wrong? "

Chloe asked, rolling over and pushing herself to a seated position. She remembered Beca's first appointment was that day. She could only assume that it was the cause for her appearance.

"C'mere."

At the redhead's invitation, Beca felt what little control she'd been grasping on to slip away. She let her arm fall, dropping her bag to the floor and took rushed steps towards the mattress. Fearing the emotions of the day were going to completely overtake her, Beca crawled onto the bed and immediately moved to the center of it to Chloe. She pressed up against her, wrapping her arms around the older girl and burying her face into her neck.

Chloe was surprised upon feeling how tightly Beca held her; how it almost felt desperate the way she seemed to try to disappear into her.

As much as Chloe wanted to ask about it, she knew it wasn't the time. Beca needed her right now. So, Chloe said nothing of the questions in her head, she just wrapped her own arms around her and held her close and whispered to her.

"I'm here," she told her, "I've got you."

It was a few minutes later when she felt the even breaths against her skin and knew the girl had fallen asleep. Chloe carefully maneuvered herself so she could get a look at her as she slept. She took in the relaxed look on her beautiful face. In the time they'd known each other, Chloe realized she didn't often see such a look there. The girl almost always had a hint of something troubling her. A look of reservation or her ever present nerves.

Chloe wished she could see this look on her more often. She wished she could help put it there.

She moved her finger with a featherlight touch over her face. She traced along her hairline and across her brow, just feeling the skin under hers. She grinned at the little crease that formed at the bridge of her nose when Chloe ran her fingertip down the length of Beca's nose.

As adorable as the little action was, Chloe pulled her touch away from her skin so she wouldn't risk waking her. Instead, she moved in close once more and let out a content sigh as the sleeping girl cuddled into her once again. She ran her hand up and down her back as she held her close.

"What are you doing to me?" Chloe asked quietly.

Obviously not expecting an answer from the girl, Chloe settled in and let her own eyes close, soon following Beca's example and drifting back to sleep.

When Beca woke later on, still wrapped up in Chloe's warmth, she was momentarily confused about how she got there. However, when she felt the tightness of her tearstained cheeks, she remembered the events that led to her current position. She groaned at the realization that she'd lost it like that in front of Chloe and regretted making the sound when she felt Chloe begin to stir. The arms around Beca tightened for a moment as she heard Chloe let out a cute waking squeak.

Beca froze, afraid to move as Chloe woke up for fear of what this upcoming exchange would bring. She felt Chloe unwrap her arms, rubbing her hand up and down Beca's arm a few times before completely pulling away. Beca separated from her as well, putting a few inches between them before daring to look up at Chloe. She wasn't expecting the warm smile that greeted her.

"Hi there," Chloe said softly, "How'd you sleep?"

"Nice," she whispered before clearing her throat and speaking at a normal volume, "I'm so-sorry for earl-earlier; b-barging in li-like th-that."

"Hey," Chloe chided, "Don't apologize. I'm glad you knew you could come to me. You can always come to me."

She reached over and brushed away some of the dark locks that had fallen into Beca's face so she could see her eyes better.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with your meeting today," the look that came over Beca's face told Chloe she was right, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Beca took a breath before deciding to share.

"H-He asked ab-about m-my pa-parents. M-My, uh, M-my m-mom."

Chloe's heart clenched in her chest as the memory of Beca holding the picture Sheila had given her came to her mind. She thought of the way Beca's eyes had shone with tears as she looked at the image. It gave her a pretty fair guess why the woman wasn't around.

"I'm sorry, Beca," she told her sincerely, "I don't know what happened with your mom really, but I have an idea. That maybe she isn't…with us anymore. Am I right?"

A few seconds after Chloe's carefully chosen words, Beca nodded.

"I'm so sorry," she told her, reaching over and rubbing her arm, "I can't imagine what that's like."

Chloe was so close to her own mother, if she lost her she would be a wreck; and that was now as a grown woman. Beca was already younger than her, she had no idea how young she'd been when her mother died.

"We don't have to talk about it," Chloe informed her. She could see a grateful appreciation come across Beca's face. She decided to change the subject completely, "Are you hungry?"

Beca shrugged, in truth she'd be more than happy to stay right there with Chloe and forget everything else. But since that was impossible, she got to her feet, straightening out her clothes as Chloe rose as well.

"Come on," the redhead encouraged, grabbing Beca's hand, "I'll make us something."

"W-Wait," Beca requested, pulling back on her hand to stop her, "I th-think I ki-kind of f-freaked Aub-Aubrey out w-when I came."

Chloe just grinned and stepped close to her once again. She traced the thumb of her free hand over Beca's jaw and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"You're so cute," she commented and gave her hand a squeeze, "It's ok, don't worry about Aubrey. Come on."

The two found Aubrey already in the kitchen, quiet music playing from her phone as she worked at the stove. She turned around when she realized she was no longer alone.

"You're up," she pointed out the obvious, "I wasn't sure how long you'd sleep."

Chloe smiled at her, "Yeah, guess we needed it, "she said as she bumped her hip into Beca, "What are you making?"

"Alfredo," she answered, "I made extra for whenever you got up, but since you're awake we can have dinner together."

"Smells good," Chloe commented, leaving Beca to look over her roommate's shoulder at the pasta, "Mm."

"Thanks, you want to set the table?"

"Sure," Chloe agreed and moved to the cabinets next to the stove for the plates.

Beside Aubrey, Chloe caught her eye and subtly tilted her head back towards Beca who was still waiting near the entrance of the room. Aubrey understood her unspoken words and gave a slight nod. After the silent conversation, the Chloe looked over her shoulder to the brunette, "Beca, want to help?"

The girl who'd been waiting nervous about how the blonde would react to seeing Beca again after her surprise appearance, nodded and went to assist. She had assumed that the two would have dinner together and Beca would make herself scarce back at her dorm, but when Chloe handed her three plates for the table she realized she was invited to share the meal with them.

A short time later the trio was sitting at the table having dinner together. Chloe glanced between her roommate and her…Beca. While she had told Beca not to worry about Aubrey, the truth was Chloe herself had been concerned; knowing how different the two women were. However, it seemed to not be an issue at the moment as Aubrey appeared completely at ease with Beca's presence.

Though it was entirely possible the blonde had just read the tone around Beca when she came. Regardless of the motivation behind Aubrey's willingness to welcome Beca, Chloe decided to just enjoy the moment.

Beca's eyes caught her stare and the brunette gave a barely noticeable smile before glancing back down to her plate. Chloe then looked over at Aubrey and found the blonde already looking her way. Chloe smiled and mouthed 'Thank you' to her best friend. Aubrey gave her a wink in response.

Across from her, Beca was pleasantly content with how her day had turned out. Even with the rough start and the emotions that hit her so hard, it turned out to be a great day.

She could go for more days that ended like this. She looked up towards Chloe while she spoke with Aubrey and smiled to herself as she watched her.

Definitely wouldn't mind her days ending like this.

X

X

Back at the Mitchell house, while Warren was at a meeting with a dean Sheila was back in the attic. The woman was sitting on her knees, sorting through the box she'd found earlier in the week. It was her first chance to get back to it and she was eager to find some more things for Beca.

Beside her, on the floor, was a small pile of pictures she'd found that she planned to give Beca. She grinned to herself as she came across the folder again. Opening it, she once again ran her eyes over the birth certificate. The woman's brows raised as she read, not noticing before the measurements listed. With the girl's petite size, Sheila would have assumed her to have been on the small side from the start. According to the paper she held, Beca was about average size and weight at birth.

Unexpected but not impossible, Sheila set the certificate aside to continue looking through the folder. Moving to the next sheet, Sheila pulled it out and read over it.

Her eyes going wide as she did.

"What the hell?"

X

* * *

X

* * *

X


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello all! I'm sure you've all noticed my absence lately. I'm super sorry for it. But after an injury, beginning rehab, a setback, and a surgery, I'm back on the road to recovery. Even now typing this is slow going since I only have one hand I can use for it but I don't want to keep delaying especially since I left you with a bit of an unexpected cliffhanger in the last one. I won't leave you hanging for long about what Sheila found in that dusty old attic.**

 **Away we go!**

* * *

 **Ch. 13**

Beca put her hands on her lips and leaned over as Aubrey called a halt to the rehearsal. The group let out a collection of sighs and groans; Fat Amy dramatically fell to the floor.

"Ok, that was…decent," Aubrey critiqued looking at the girls, "We still have a lot of work to do. Beca, you're still a beat behind on choreography. Stacie, _stop_ grabbing yourself. Amy sing the song _exactly_ as I showed you."

The blonde swiped at a strand of hair that fell loose from her bun. She looked over at Chloe, her best friend gave her an imploring look and Aubrey sighed.

"Alright, that's enough for today."

The girls agreed happily and began collecting their things. Beca went to the chairs as well, picking up her bag and checking her phone. Her brow lifted as she saw multiple missed calls, a voicemail, and a text from Sheila asking her to call as soon as she could.

Beca could only assume she'd found more photos or items of her mother's; though that didn't explain the urgency. Curious, she was about to call her back when Chloe appeared at her side.

"Hey," the redhead greeted brightly.

Beca grinned and put her phone away.

"Hi."

"Are you doing anything now? You have to be at the station?"

Beca shook her head, "Not t-today."

"Awesome," she smiled at the girl and traced her fingers down her arm to her hand.

The brunette grinned at the feeling and allowed her hand to tangle up with Chloe's. She cast her eyes quickly over her shoulder to the rest of the girls; mainly Aubrey. Though they hadn't really labeled what they were doing, Beca didn't want it to end and she wasn't sure what would happen if the protective blonde knew.

"You want to grab some lunch?" Chloe asked after she saw where Beca was looking and turned them so their backs were to the rest of the auditorium.

"Yeah," Beca agreed.

She was always ready and happy to spend time with Chloe. Exiting the building with Chloe, Beca had already forgotten her intention to call Sheila back.

Aubrey noticed, from across the room, the two girls leaving together. More specifically, she noticed the way Beca's hand rested on Chloe's lower as they made their way out. The captain let out a sigh and began gathering her own belongings. She wanted Chloe to be happy, Beca too, but she couldn't help her concern.

She'd have to keep an eye on them.

X

Beca and Chloe enjoyed lunch at a diner near campus. The time passed comfortably and the two girls discussing all matters that came to mind. Chloe could barely keep from exploding with pride as she noticed the improvement in the girl's speech.

It was far from flawless, but she could hear the difference. Beca too had realized her growing ease when she spoke to Chloe. However, she couldn't say for sure if it was due to the handful of sessions she'd had or if it was because it was Chloe she was talking to. Being in the other girl's warm presence was like nothing she'd ever experienced.

It felt like…home. What home was meant to be.

As good as it made her feel, Beca also had to acknowledge how much it terrified her. She wanted to grab on and hold as tight as she could before it left. Before Chloe's patience ran out; before her eyes cleared and she saw Beca as so many had seen her during her years.

And then Chloe would run.

"Hey," Chloe spoke up, tossing a fry Beca's way for her attention. The potato bounced off the girl's cheek and snapped her out of her thoughts. When Chloe saw she had her back, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "Where'd you go?"

Beca shook her head and grinned back, "S-Sorry. Th-Thinking."

"I can see that," she chuckled, "Up for sharing?"

"It's n-nothing imp-p-portant."

Chloe didn't really buy it, but allowed the issue to go. She'd let Beca tell her in her own time. Meanwhile, she would continue to show the girl she was there for her.

Reaching across the table, she took one of Beca's hands in hers.

"Well, there's something on _my_ mind I want to talk to you about," she began and saw the other girl pale a bit at her words. She gave her hand a squeeze of reassurance before going on; a bit nervous herself, "We've been spending a lot of time together."

Beca swallowed and nodded; wondering where the redhead was going with her words. Was it happening already?

"We've gone out a few times. Kissed a little, even," she went on, "I don't know about you, but I've been enjoying it."

"M-M-Me t-too," Beca winced as her nerves showed through.

"Good," Chloe smiled again and sat up a little straighter in the booth, "So I was thinking…How do you feel about spending time together more…officially."

Beca furrowed her brow, unsure what she meant.

"I guess what I'm saying is…Beca, could I call you my girlfriend?"

Chloe allowed herself to fully feel her nerves as the shock of her question filled the younger girl's face.

"I…" Beca began, clearing her throat before trying again, "Re-Really? Y-You wa-want…m-me?"

Chloe let out a breath and squeezed Beca's hand again.

"Of course I do," she answered, bringing her other hand grasp Beca's as well, "I want you, Beca. I want to call you mine. I want you to call me yours."

Beca stared into the brilliant blues ahead of her. The eyes that showed nothing but sincerity. It was more than she could have every truly hoped for. With a breath to steady her courage, Beca replied as honest as she'd ever been.

"I'm yours," she managed to say perfectly and tightened her own hands around Chloe's, "You're mine."

"Yeah?" Chloe asked with a wide smile.

"Yeah."

Chloe squealed with happiness and stood enough to lean across the table and press a kiss to Beca's lips. When she pulled back, she called to the waitress, "Excuse me, my _girlfriend_ and I are ready for the check."

She turned back to Beca and winked, getting a short laugh from the girl before they shared another kiss.

X

* * *

X

At the Mitchell house, Sheila sat at the table in front of her laptop. She continued going back and forth between that screen and that of her phone.

She was waiting, had been waiting, for Beca to return her call. She was searching as much as she was able online, but she could only go so far.

It didn't make sense.

There had to be some weird mistake. Obviously.

But why would Warren keep it?

Some inside joke between him and his late wife?

It didn't make _any_ sense.

She scrolled through the website until she got to a contact number. She figured she could possibly get more from speaking with an actual human. The woman grabbed her phone and began copying the number she'd found into it.

"What are you doing?" The voice made her jump.

She looked up, surprised to see Warren approaching. She hadn't even heard the door open.

"Honey," she greeted, shutting the computer lid quickly, "You're home early."

"Meeting got rescheduled," he answered setting his case on the end of the table and walking towards her as he repeated himself, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, just…research for work."

Her eyes went to the folder left beside her laptop. She went to grab it, but Warren seemed to sense something was up and got it first. She felt it slide out beneath her fingertips and she watched with a thundering heart as he opened it. His eyes darkened as he scanned its contents from one sheet to the next. Sheila rose to her feet as his sharp eyes returned to her.

"Where you find this?" he asked, too calmly for her nerves.

With a swallow, she straightened up.

"You know where."

He shut the folder and let it fall to the table with a slap and let out a deep sigh.

"Why do you have it?"

"The important question is why do _you_ have it?" she asked, feeling her courage step up, "What the hell is this Warren? Why do you have a death certificate with Beca's name on it?"

He scratched at his beard and took a step closer.

"It's nothing; a gag from a friend a long time ago."

She glared at him in disbelief.

"A friend?" she questioned skeptically, "A friend gave you a death certificate with your daughter's name on it, dated _a day_ after she was born?"

She took a step back as he took yet another forward.

"Are you trying to say something Sheila?" he asked her, "Just say it."

"Ok," she agreed with a jerking nod before snapping, "I'm saying it's bullshit. There's a hospital seal on it! A real hospital seal!"

"Sheila-"

"What's going on, Warren?" she demanded to know, "What is this? Why is there a death certificate for your daughter who is very much alive?"

He sighed and shook his head.

"You shouldn't have gone snooping, Sheila," he chastised, "I _really_ wish you hadn't."

The two held eyes for a long moment and Shelia was struck by a sense of terrifying danger coming off the man she thought she knew.

After the tense moment stretched, the silence was disrupted by a steady vibrating. Sheila cast her eyes to her cell phone on the table between them. From where she stood, she could see Beca's name on the screen.

Her eyes returned to his and remained for a few moments more. She flexed her fingers anxiously before taking her chance.

The woman lunged for the phone, but one again was too slow. Warren reached out and swept her phone off the table to clatter and slide across the floor. He grabbed for her wrist but Sheila struck him across the face; feeling her nails catch on his skin.

His grunt of pain gave her a moment to flee and she took it. She ran for the front door. She'd just opened it when she felt Warren crash into her from behind, slamming the her against the door and shutting it. He reached over and switched the deadbolt.

Strong hands then spun her around and held her there.

"You shouldn't have gone snooping," he said again and shook his head, "I really liked you, Sheila."

"Warren," 'she whimpered as he held her tightly, but he cut her off as she shouted in her face.

"Why'd you be so nosy?!"

She shook her head, feeling a few tears slide out as Warren's hand fisted in her hair.

X

* * *

X

At her dorm, Beca sat on her mattress, Chloe behind her with her arms draped around the younger girl's shoulders.

Chloe placed a gently kiss on the side of Beca's neck as she waited patiently.

After a few more seconds, Beca lowered the phone.

"No answer?" the redhead asked.

Beca shook her head.

Chloe stroked her fingers through the grouping of hairs at the base of her girlfriend's skull.

"I'm sure it's fine," Chloe assured, getting the girl to look her way.

"Yeah," Beca smiled and set the phone down.

She turned to face Chloe completely. Running her hand down the senior's cheek and resting on her jaw. Her thumb ran back and forth over the warm skin as she leaned into kiss her.

Everything was better than fine.

It was perfect.

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	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello all! A thousand aca-apologies! I had this next part written and when I went to type it up, I realized I hated it and sat down to redo all of it. It's little shorter than most but I hope you forgive me for it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

* * *

Beca sat silently in the plastic chair. Sure, silence wasn't exactly an unusual thing for the girl, but as Chloe observed from the doorway she could easily tell that this was a different type of quiet. Hunched over with her elbows on her thighs and her hands knotted together against her chin. Her deep blue eyes glued before her. Transfixed on the injured woman lying prone in the bed.

"Hey," Chloe greeted gently so as not to startle her girlfriend from her thoughts.

Beca's eyes flashed up quickly, exposing the red rimmed orbs as her emotions battled within. Chloe's heart tightened and she quickly crossed the room. She knelt in front of the chair and slid her hands up Beca's arms. Separating her entwined hands and holding them each in one of her own.

The other girl's hands instantly returned the hold, telling Chloe her presence was absolutely welcomed.

"I got your text, "she stated the obvious while trying to comfort her, "I'm here."

"C-C-Chlo- "she began out in a heavy voice.

Chloe tried to reassure her, "Shh, it's ok. It's going to be ok, baby. Can you tell me what happened?"

Beca's text hadn't contained any detail other than saying she was at the hospital with her dad and Sheila and asking Chloe to come.

After the question, the brunette's mouth seemed to move sporadically in a start and stop fashion. It was a struggle Chloe hadn't witnessed in her since the first days of knowing the girl. It caused another spike to go through the senior's chest.

"Hey, hey it's ok," the redhead spoke softly, lifting a hand to cup Beca's cheek, "Don't force it. Just breathe and take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

Beca did as Chloe advised and paused to take a few measured breaths in and out. After repeating the action a few times, the distraught girl chose to pull out her phone and typed into it with unsteady hands before handing it over to her girlfriend. She decided to let her read the words she couldn't say in the moment.

' _They were mugged.'_

Chloe read it and let out a quiet gasp. She looked up at Beca and felt her own tears form at the new knowledge paired with the look on Beca's face.

"Oh Beca," she breathed out. The brunette wiped a hand over her face and took another breath.

"J-Jus-Just l-l-like mo-m-m-mm-mom."

Chloe didn't waste another second before engulfing Beca in her arms. She felt Beca hold on to her; hands nearly clawing at her back. The other girl had entrusted her with the circumstances regarding her mother's death. So, it was no surprise that a similar event happening again to someone in her life would have such a powerful effect on her.

She continued to hold on in silence, pressing her lips against the side of her head as she did. Finally, after a few minutes, she asked the other question on her mind.

"Where's your dad?" she questioned cautiously; almost afraid of what the answer would be.

Beca cleared her throat.

"SS-St-Stitch-ch-ches."

The answer caused a breath of relief to go through Chloe. If he was just getting stitches, hopefully it meant he wasn't in terrible shape.

Her musings were interrupted by a short knock on the door before it opened. Chloe had looked over expecting it to be Dr. Mitchell entering, but instead saw a young man in scrubs approaching.

"Hello," the orderly greeted as he approached, "Just going to borrow your mom here for a few scans."

Chloe felt Beca tense as he mistook Sheila for her mother, but her girlfriend didn't speak up. For her sake, however, Chloe did ask on Beca's behalf as he kicked off the brakes on the bed.

"What kind of scans? What are you looking for?"

"Dr. Meadows suspects she might have some swelling in her brain from the trauma."

Chloe swallowed and adjusted her hold on Beca' reminding herself to be strong for the girl.

"If there is?"

"The doctor will be in after she gets a look at the results."

Chloe nodded and offered her polite thanks. She felt Beca's hand twitch as Sheila was rolled out of the room.

"It's going to be ok," she said to Beca again, "She's going to be ok."

Beca nodded absently, but her girlfriend could tell she didn't truly believe it and really Chloe couldn't blame her. She wrapped her arm around Beca's shoulder and allowed the other girl to lean into her. She pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head and ran her hand up and down the other girl's arm. As she did so, continuing her effort to be a source of comfort, her light eyes coasted over the now empty room.

"Is that hers?" Chloe asked, pointing out the purse left in the corner chair across the space.

Beca sniffed and nodded at the question. The redhead thought it was odd that the mugger hadn't taken it, but she supposed it probably didn't go smoothly if Dr. Mitchell had also been there.

She gave Beca's arm a couple pats before crossing the room and picking it up. She brought it over for Beca to have something to hold on to. The girl gave her a small smile of gratitude before looking down at the familiar item. She opened it and the first thing she noticed was a small collection of photos. The brunette's shaking hand cautiously reached in and pulled them out; already knowing what it was.

She pulled them out facedown and took a moment to brace herself for whatever images she was about to see. After a breath, she felt Chloe return to her side and place her arm back around her. She was about to turn them over when her dad appeared in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" he asked suddenly causing both girls to jump in place.

Chloe rose from her spot, assuming he was asking about her presence.

"Beca asked me to come, Dr. Mitchell. I thought it was best if she weren't alone right now."

"Not you," he dismissed and fully entered the room, allowing Chloe a look at the scratches along his neck and the bandage taped near his temple. He stopped walking and looked at Beca.

"I told you to go back to school."

"I j-j-j- "

"I told you I won't tolerate you skipping any classes."

Chloe felt her mouth drop open and immediately stepped in front of the seated girl.

"Dr. Mitchell, I think under the circumstances it's hardly something to blame her for. This is a little more important than a few classes, don't you think?"

The man's eyes narrowed at his daughter's tutor, "Miss Beale, I appreciate your concern, but this is a family issue. So, there's no need for your presence here."

"With all due respect," Chloe began, though silently admitting to herself that the amount of actual respect she felt he was due diminished with each interaction or story she heard about him, "Considering what happened… before, I think- "

"What happened before?" he interrupted and took a step closer, allowing his height to tower over her in intimidating fashion, "What happened before? What do you know about what happened before?"

Beca stiffened in her seat as she heard her father's tone sharpen.

"Beca told- "

"Oh, did she?" he interrupted her again, his eyes going over to Beca while still addressing Chloe, "What insight could she possibly offer on something that happened while she was a toddler? Hmm? Whatever she _told_ you, gives you no right to act as if you know what's best or what's needed. You're just a child and I suggest you remember your place, which, again, is not here."

"D-Don't."

The small voice stopped Chloe's response before it started. She turned to look behind her.

"What?" Warren questioned.

Beca swallowed and rose, sliding the photos into her back jean pocket. She straightened up beside Chloe.

"Do-Don't t-t-talk t-to- "

"Rebecca," her dad cut in harshly, making her flinch, his cold eyes boring into her, "If you have something to say to me, say it. I don't have time to- "

"Hey!" Chloe snapped, "Stop that! Stop talking down to her like that. Stope treating her like she's anything less than amazing because that's exactly what she is!"

"I won't tell you again, Miss Beale, to stay out of our family's business!" he hissed, his hand grabbing her forearm tightly.

Chloe barely had time to register the pain it caused before Beca was there. The short girl darted in front of Chloe and shoved her father's chest as hard as she could. She couldn't say if it was her force or his shock that caused him to let go and stumble back a few steps.

His surprise read easily on his face as he gazed at his normally subdued daughter.

He straightened after a moment and adjusted his jacket.

"We'll discuss this later," he promised and stormed out of the room; sidestepping the orderly bringing the bed back in.

The orderly looked over his shoulder at the exiting man before gazing back at the girls.

"Everything ok?"

Chloe looked at Beca who had crossed her arms to hug herself and looked down.

"Yeah," Chloe answered, "Just emotions running high, you know."

He nodded as he set Sheila's bed back up in the room, "The doctor will be in shortly to go over everything with you."

* * *

That night the two were on Chloe's bed together, Beca resting against her girlfriend as she held the photos above them; going through each one.

Chloe could feel her relax more and more as time passed like this. To call it a long day would be an understatement. They'd spent another hour and a half at the hospital speaking with Dr. Meadows.

It turned our Sheila _did_ have some swelling as the woman suspected. The doctor told them she wanted to keep an eye on her throughout the night and the next day to give it a chance to reduce on its own. If not, she would likely suggest a surgery to open her skull and relieve the pressure to avoid damage. That was just the beginning.

All in all, the woman was in rough shape. With a fractured cheek and broken jaw, which had now been wired shut, she was being kept under sedation until they felt confident enough to let her wake on her own; if she even would.

It wasn't the best news and Chloe knew Beca was carrying it heavily on her own shoulders right now. The older girl gently ran her fingers through her girlfriend's dark locks and pressed a kiss to her temple while she got to the last photo. It was her mother holding a baby Beca up at the camera; the little girl grinning and waving her hands in glee.

"That's my favorite one," Chloe spoke into the girl's hair.

"Yeah," Beca replied in a whisper, her fingers ghosting over the woman's face in front of her.

With a sigh, Beca set the small pile on the nightstand and turned to curl against Chloe.

"Beca" she started, "Thank you for earlier."

The smaller girl tilted her head up, "What?"

"For standing up to your dad. I know that couldn't have been easy for you. Thank you."

"I-It w-wasn't any-anything," she replied, "C-C-Couldn't ev-even t-t-ell him t-to st-stop."

It was true. Beca had finally tried to speak up to her father and she failed; because _of course_ she did.

"No, Beca it was everything," she held her tighter, "I'm so proud of you.

Beca remained quiet for a few minutes, settling her head over Chloe's heart; comforted by the steady beating sound.

"W-What you s-s-said," she began, recalling the fierce words Chloe had for her dad, "NN-No one ev-ev-ever…" she paused, taking a breath, "…Th-thank you."

Chloe smiled sadly to herself and put a kiss on top of her head.

"Always," she promised and pulled the girl closer to her.

A short time later, Chloe felt Beca's breathing fall into a steady rhythm and was glad the girl had fallen asleep. She stretched an arm out to turn off the lamp. Once it was dark, she snuggled with her girlfriend and joined her in sleep almost instantly.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe was in the kitchen working her way through a bowl of cereal after Beca had left to see the professors whose classes she missed the day before.

"Chloe, do you have chap stick?" Aubrey called out from within the apartment, "I think I left mine at the auditorium."

"Should be an unopened tube in the drawer by my bed!" she called out before scooping another bite of sugary breakfast food.

Her roommate came into the room carrying what she would need for the day.

"Hey why do you have a bunch of baby pictures in your room?"

Chloe swallowed her bite before answering, "They're Beca's. She left them this morning; I'm going to bring them to her when I see her this afternoon."

Aubrey accepted the answer, thankfully not questioning Chloe on the fact that Beca had apparently spent the night again. The blonde turned to head out but halted as a thought came to her and she turned back around.

"They're Beca's?"

"Mhmm," she replied with a mouthful.

" _Of_ Beca?"

"No, Bree, it's some random lady and her baby," she answered sarcastically.

She was in the process of taking a bite but paused upon seeing Aubrey's face.

"What?"

Aubrey went back into the room and came back, looking at the photograph she now held in her hands.

"What is it?" Chloe asked again, becoming concerned.

"What color are Beca's eyes?" she asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"What?" Chloe asked with a laugh, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer me Chloe; they're blue, right?"

Chloe dropped her spoon in the bowl with a clink and pushed her chair back as she looked up at her.

"Yes, Aubrey, her eyes are blue. Why are you asking about her eyes? What's going on with you?"

Aubrey turned the picture around for Chloe to see. The redhead noticed it was the one she had called her favorite.

"Why does this baby have brown eyes?"

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	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello all! Hope you're all doing well! I sure am, lots of good things happening for me, personally and professionally! I hope you guys like this update. Fair warning there's a lot of talking in this one. But it's all necessary for the overall arc of the story. We're certainly moving along to the big climax and I'm super excited to see how you guys like the completion of this little adventure. When I came up with the idea for the story, the ending was one of the first scenes that came to me and I can't wait to get there.**

 **Anyway, enough explain-y talk from me, you'll get plenty of that below.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

Chloe was finding it impossible to focus on rehearsal. Even as she went through the choreography on muscle memory alone, her mind was back in the apartment with Aubrey that morning. She glanced over to her co-captain who was counting out beats and watching everyone. The redhead tried to pay attention to her, but instead could only hear her voice from earlier in her head.

" _Why does this baby have brown eyes?"_

" _What?" Chloe questioned, taking the picture from her roommate and looking at it. Sure enough, the smiling baby had chocolate brown eyes. Emotions were pretty high the night before and Chloe had been so focused on Beca that she hadn't noticed the detail._

 _She got up and rushed back to the room and spread all the photos out on the bed. Most of the photos were in black and white or had the baby either sleeping or held to her mother's chest. But in the ones where they were in color and visible, sure enough, a brown eyed baby was looking out at her._

 _Aubrey entered behind her._

" _Chloe?"_

" _This is weird, Bree," the redhead answered and then looked up at her roommate, "Right? I mean, this is really weird."_

" _Maybe it's not," Aubrey offered trying to help, "Babies…their eyes can change after they're born sometimes. Maybe that's all it is."_

" _Really? That happens?"_

" _Yeah, all the time," she nodded, "I shouldn't have freaked you out like that. I'm sorry, that's probably all it is."_

 _Chloe nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, you're probably right."_

"Chloe!"

Aubrey's voice got her attention and pulled her back to the present. She looked over at her friend.

"You're behind," Aubrey informed.

"Sorry," she apologized and got back to starting position.

"Ok, from the top. 1…2…" Aubrey's count was interrupted by the sound of the auditorium door opening and falling closed. The blonde turned around and saw Beca running down the aisle. Beca dropped her bag in a chair and rushed to the stage, "You're late."

"S-Sorry. Cl-Class," she replied. Though she was mostly comfortable around the Bellas, and so far, no one gave her any reason to think they judged her for her speech, she still kept her words short.

"All right, from the top."

They ran through the set twice more before Aubrey called it for the day. The girl's immediately spread out to collect their items and talk amongst each other. Chloe wanted to talk to Beca, but instead decided to watch her for the moment.

The freshman stood with Amy, Jessica, and Ashley. The girls were listening to Amy tell some story with animated hand gestures as always. When she concluded her story by smacking both hands onto her stomach the other girls laughed loudly. Chloe easily separated Beca's laugh from the others and felt her stomach flutter at the sound of it.

What happened next had Chloe beaming with pride. She saw Beca's lips move as she spoke to the group, none of them were interrupting or seemed impatient, and after she finished the group laughed again. Whatever Beca had said caused them all to respond loudly; Amy even wrapped an arm around Beca's head and rubbed her hair shouting loud enough for Chloe to hear: "Ayy Short stack!"

When Beca managed to get away from Amy, hair now a static mess, she smiled and looked over Chloe's way. The redhead had to wink at her girlfriend and chose to let her be until she was done.

However, when she saw Stacie nearby putting together her own stuff to leave, she had a thought and approached the girl.

"Hey Stacie, can I ask you a question?"

"What's up?" the girl questioned as she took a sip from her water bottle before putting it back in her bag.

"You study biology and science stuff, right?"

"Yeah, but if you need a tutor I don't have a lot of extra time right now. I can recommend someone for you though."

"No, no nothing like that. I was just wondering," she began, rubbing her hands together, "Is it true that babies' eyes can change color?"

"Totally," she told her, "I mean, not every baby, but it happens a lot."

"Oh, cool," she nodded with a relieved sigh, "So, like, if a baby was born with brown eyes, it's possible for them to become, like, blue?"

"Not necessarily," the secret genius went on before draping her bag over her shoulder, "It's more like a baby born with light eyes can end up with darker ones."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh, it's the development of melanin, it causes the darkening. A lot of babies are even born with grayish eyes before the color settles."

"I see," she deflated at this new information, "So it's not at all possible?"

"Well, anomalies can always happen, but for them to lighten that much, from brown to blue, especially if you're talking about someone so young, it would more than likely be the effect of something to do with their health."

"They're health?" Chloe repeated; suddenly having a new worry, "So it might mean they're sick?"

Stacie looked at her captain, suddenly wondering where all the questions were coming from.

"It's not concrete," she told her cautiously then asked, "Why are you asking all these questions? Is something wrong?"

Chloe swallowed thickly and shook her head, making sure her usual pepe was in place.

"No, nothing's wrong. Just…I heard that it happened and wasn't sure if it was true," she waved it away, "Curiosity and all that, you know."

Stacie accepted the answer and Chloe left her to go on her way. Staying behind, Chloe's eyes returned to Beca, a whole new crop of thoughts and concerns running through her mind as she watched the girl. Instead of clearing things up, the answers she got from Stacie only served to make things more complicated.

She was already trying to work out a way to either bring it up to Beca or find a way to figure it out on her own before she had to. As she was thinking on the subject, Aubrey came over to her.

"Hey," she started; getting the redhead's attention, "You're pretty distracted. Still thinking about the pictures?"

Chloe sighed, "I'm worried, Bree. I think…I think something is going on; something big."

"Ok," Aubrey nodded, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder, "What do you want to do?"

She cast her own blue eyes back to where Beca had now split from the group to gather her items.

"I'm not going to say anything to Beca; not yet. She's got so much going on right now with school and her dad and therapy, not to mention how worried she is for Sheila," Chloe listed off, "I'm going to see if I can find anything out on my own before I worry her."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Chlo. I mean, if you ask her about it she can probably just tell you. Come on, she's seen the pictures too, I'm sure she's noticed. If she hasn't said anything then it probably really isn't a big deal."

"Think about it, though. If someone hands you a picture of a baby and says, 'That's you' are you going to question it?" Chloe asked, "Especially if you're someone like Beca, who lost her mom so young she barely remembers her? How are you going to argue what you're looking at when someone tells you that's you with your mom?"

"What are you talking about? You think those are pictures of a stranger?"

"I don't know, Aubrey, that's what I'm talking about. It's weird," Chloe said quietly.

Aubrey sighed heavily and whispered once she saw Beca was coming over, "Just be careful."

The blonde then turned to leave, speaking to Beca as the two passed each other, "Nice work today, Beca."

The brunette smiled in surprise at the unexpected compliment from their strict leader, "Th-Thanks."

Beca looked back at Aubrey before turning to Chloe and mouthing, "Wow."

She smiled at the freshman, putting the cheer back in her voice as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled the other girl against her.

"Well, you do might fine work, Ms. Mitchell," she chuckled as Beca smiled bashfully.

The two left together, hand in hand, with Chloe happily swinging their arms back and forth.

"You have an appointment today?" Chloe asked, to which Beca shook her head.

"T-Tomm-morrow."

"Good," the senior responded. An idea suddenly came to her as Stacie's words replayed in her head. She bit her lip in debate before deciding to go with it, "Because you missed Aubrey's announcement at the beginning of practice since you were late."

"Oh?" Beca questioned; surprised Aubrey hadn't mentioned it to her. Then again, she probably knew Chloe would tell her.

"Yeah," Chloe nodded, not feeling good about lying to Beca, "All new Bellas have to get a physical. You know since so much exertion goes into some of these routines. And don't think I don't notice how out of breath you get when we're doing our laps missy."

Beca chuckled at being caught.

"Anyway, since you have the day free, you can take care of it today."

The brunette stopped walking and looked at her girlfriend. None of the other girls had said anything about getting a physical while they were talking and honestly, she wasn't a fan of the idea. But if it needed to be done she wouldn't argue. She just didn't like doctors; never had.

She looked down at their joined hands and shifted her weight between her feet.

"C-C-Could you c-come w-with mme?" she asked Chloe; feeling childish that she wanted the girl with her, but knowing her presence would make it more bearable for her.

Chloe smiled brightly, "Of course."

The older girl then leaned in for a soft kiss, which Beca happily accepted.

"Ok," she answered when they pulled apart, "Let's d-do it."

The two were able to get a walk-in appointment that afternoon and were currently waiting to be called while Beca filled out the new patient information sheet. Chloe couldn't keep her leg from bouncing anxiously as they sat. She couldn't help but focus on the fact that she had lied to Beca to get her there.

Sure, it wasn't a big lie; and really, they should probably make it an actual thing for the Bellas with all the cardio that went into what they did. But even so, she'd still coerced her girlfriend into doing something and that didn't sit right with her; regardless of her good intentions.

She kept thinking about Stacie's words; about the idea that there could be a health issue involved in this mystery that surrounded Beca. Chloe absolutely didn't want that to be true -God she hoped Beca was healthy – but it would explain it.

She looked down when she felt a new warmth on her bouncing thigh. Glancing down, she saw Beca's hand resting there and turned her eyes to meet hers.

"W-What's wr-wrong? Shouldn't I b-be the n-nervous one?" she questioned, sounding a bit playful.

Chloe returned the smile she gave with one of her own.

"Sorry," she shook her head, "I'm just…nervous for you, I guess. I want to hear my girl is 100% healthy."

She punctuated her words by wrapping her arm around Beca and pulling her close enough to put a kiss to her temple. The action brought a grin from the freshman who happily remained leaning against her.

"Your girl, huh?"

"Yup," she replied, "All mine. Don't you forget it."

Beca chuckled and turned her head so she could put her lips to Chloe's. The redhead smiled, more relaxed now as Beca remained leaning against her. Crystal blue eyes looked down as her girlfriend worked on finishing the sheet on the clipboard. She noticed the lack of check marks on the list provided for family illness history. That eased her concern a little. She tapped that section with the hand not currently wrapped around the other girl.

"Healthy family, huh?"

Beca looked at the paper and shrugged, "N-Not sure. D-D-Dad n-never men-mentioned."

"Oh," and just like that the concern when rocketing back up.

Thankfully it wasn't much longer before the form was finished and Beca was called back. It was pretty standard with Beca sitting up on the exam table following the young doctor's instructions and answering questions as well as she could; Chloe taking the girl's cues to help when her speech stumbled. Over the course of the exam, Chloe was able to relax her worries…until one particular moment.

The blonde man had set the stethoscope against Beca's chest to listen to her hearts; pulling back with a quiet "Hmm," and making a note for himself.

"What is it?" Chloe asked standing from her chair and moving next to where Beca sat on the table.

"You have a murmur," he answered, draping the instrument back around his neck.

"W-What d-d-does th-th-that me-mean?" she asked nervously, her hand reaching out and clasping Chloe's.

"Can't say for sure at the moment. It could be a number of things," he answered vaguely, "I'd like to get an ECG and go from there."

A few hours later the girls were back at Chloe's apartment on the couch. Chloe's eyes were staring at the pamphlets resting on the coffee table before them. Her hand was running slowly up and down the curve of Beca's spine as the girl leaned forward while in thought.

Her mind having difficulty wrapping itself around yet another new piece of information; she couldn't imagine how Beca was dealing with it all.

They'd been silent since leaving the hospital they'd been sent to for imaging that confirmed one of the possible suspicions of the clinic doctor when he called over to get them in for the test. The sat next to each other, Beca assuring the new doctor that Chloe could hear anything she had to say; and boy was there something to say.

Beca was the first to break the quiet.

"I n-n-need to ca-call mmy da-dad."

Chloe nodded and rubbed her back a few more times, "Of course."

Beca ran her hand through her hair; tugging on it slightly. She had to talk to her dad. The doctor said it was genetic. She had to talk to him; she needed to find out if it was from her mom or if there was chance he had it too. Supposedly someone could go their whole life and never known or have any problems, but it was a risk if left undiagnosed. He might need to get tested too.

There was just so much to think about now on top of Sheila's hospitalization, Beca now had to worry about something else. Including a prescription that would be waiting for her to pick up tomorrow. A prescription that would need to be refilled over and over and over, possibly for the rest of her life. Didn't the doctor say something about maybe requiring a surgery somewhere down the line as a more permanent solution.

With a sigh, the brunette pushed herself up and grabbed her phone off the counter. Beca easily found her father in her contacts, but her thumb hovered over the call button, not pressing it right away. She glanced back towards the couch where Chloe was now reading over one of the pamphlets they'd been provided.

She felt a pang in her chest at the mix of concentration and concern on her girlfriend's face. Her hand moved upwards until it lay against her chest over her heart. Suddenly she was wondering how many of the feelings in her chest that came around the redhead were actually because of her girlfriend and how many were a cry for attention from the organ itself.

No, there was no way it was all just this…diagnosis. Chloe Beale absolutely deserved credit for some, maybe most, of it. Chloe Beale was responsible for taking her breath away.

She set the phone back down and returned to the couch. The girl laid down, slipping her head underneath Chloe's arm and resting her head on her lap.

The other girl raised her arm with a smile and looked to see Beca looking up at her. The senior gave a small smile and started stroking her hair.

"Hi there," she spoke softly.

"Hi," Beca returned in a whisper.

"How are you feeling? You ok?"

Beca shrugged, "Not sure."

"Can I do anything for you, babe?"

Beca smiled to herself at the endearment and grabbed Chloe's hand from her hair, pressing a kiss into her palm before turning onto her side to wrap her arm around Chloe's legs.

"Re-Read it t-to me?"

"This? You sure?"

"It'll s-sound bet-better f-from you."

"Ok," Chloe returned to the front of the pamphlet and began reading aloud while running her fingers along Beca's side, "Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy – Living With HCM. HCM is usually inherited and is caused by a change in the genes of the heart muscle proteins. Heart muscle cells enlarge and cause ventricles to thicken, this may block blood flow out of the ventricle. It can also effect the mitral valve…"

Beca listened to Chloe read off the explanation, followed by the possible symptoms, treatments and all the positive words that stated it was no means a death sentence and she could still live a normal, happy life.

She was right, it did sound better coming from Chloe then it did from the doctor. However, she still found her arm was tightening around Chloe's legs even more and somewhere along the way she had grabbed Chloe's hand and pulled it to her chest. She didn't know what would happen down the line, but she did know, whatever it did happen with her heart, the redhead was comfortably nestled within it.

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	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hi there! Were you all upset this took so long? My bad, forgive me? I'll probably have to ask for forgiveness after you've read this. I promise this story isn't all crap on Beca start-to-finish. But things need to happen to get where I'm taking you all.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

This was weird.

That was one of the repeating thoughts as Beca approached her father's office. It was weird to be seeking the man out when most of her life she'd done her best to stay off his radar. Now she was purposely putting herself right in the middle of it; not to mention that they'd yet to speak since the scene at the hospital. She only hoped that when she told him what she had to say, he'd hold off on screaming at her.

Once at his door, she nervously wiped her palms on her jeans and wondered again if she should have accepted Chloe's offer to be there when she told him about the diagnosis. Beca declined, thinking Chloe's presence would upset him from the get-go considering what happened last time they were in the same room.

So Beca came alone.

She took a breath to steady her nerves and then gave did a few throat clears and hums in hopes it would allow her smoother speech for what she had to say.

"Ok," she whispered; deciding to get it over with, Beca knocked on the door.

Almost immediately after she did, his voice could be heard inviting her in.

With one more breath, she opened the door and entered. Her dad was sitting at his desk, brow furrowed above his glasses as he read what she assumed were student reports. Upon her entrance, he looked up and let surprise register on his face for the briefest moment before settling back into the familiar hardness she knew.

"I'm busy," he dismissed and went back to his papers.

"I n-need t-to-to – "

"To talk to me?" he interrupted without looking at her, "I told you, I'm busy."

Beca looked down at her hands as she nervously began to wring them together. She swallowed and tried to force the words out beyond her anxiety.

"It's im-imp-p-p- "

Warren sighed loudly and removed his glasses, dropping them onto his desk. Beca flinched a bit at the sound. Her father set his eyes on her.

"So, it's important, is it?" he questioned and rose to his feet; leaning forward to brace his hands on his desk, "It must be, since you came here to see me, after having your feisty friend run me off when _I_ was trying to talk to _you_. But now Beca needs something so here she comes, and I'm supposed to stop what I'm doing for you, because…it's important."

Beca swallowed, fighting the urge to shrink away as her eyes began to burn.

"D-D-Dad, pl-plea- "

"What is it?" he cut her off again, "Hmm? Tell me what's so important and do it quickly, I have work to do."

She took a moment before going forward.

"I-I w-wwent t-to- "she cleared her throat, "to th-the- "

"I said quickly. If you can't do that, I don't have time for this."

Looking back down, Beca reached into her back pocket. With a shaking hand she pulled out the information pamphlet she had read so many times she had the damn thing memorized. Taking a moment to attempt to smooth out the creases from carrying it in her pocket, she then took a step towards the desk. Without a word, she held it out for him, the paper quivering in her unsteady hand."

He looked at it then at her, unimpressed.

When it appeared he wasn't going to take it, she stepped even closer and continued to hold it out to him, her eyes pleading for him to do so. Her father gave another audible sigh, returning his glasses to his face and snatching it out of her hand.

He glanced at the cover before wondering out loud.

"What the hell is this?" he questioned, "Why am I looking at this?"

Beca cleared her throat, tightening her fingers around each other.

"I ha-have it."

He looked back at the glossy paper and then back at her.

"You have…" he shook his head, "This is a heart condition. You have it?"

Beca nodded and wiped the back of her hand under her nose with a sniff.

"You're sure?" he asked, opening the pamphlet and skimming it, "The doctor you saw, they're sure?"

There was a strain in his voice that allowed Beca a strange bit of relief. If he was upset, maybe he didn't hate her as much as he seemed.

She nodded again.

He ran a hand down his face and sat back down as he continued to look over the information.

"It's genetic," he murmured to himself, his fists folded together in front of his chin, slightly muffling his words.

His mentioning of the genetic factor brought up one of the main reasons she had to talk to him about. She got it from someone.

"Did m-m-mom- "

"Get out.

His voice came from behind his knotted hands, shocking Beca with his harsh interruption.

"W-What?"

"Get. Out," he said louder, removing his hands glaring at her, "Now!"

"D-D-Dad we-we n-ne-need t-to- "

Warren slammed his hand down on the desk making a thunderous bang resonate in the room and Beca jump where she stood.

"Will you listen to me for once in your life?!" he yelled getting to his feet. He rounded the desk and grabbed her arm. His grip painfully tight as he began dragging her to the door; ignoring her struggles, all the while yelling, "You stupid, miserable, mess. You ruin everything with your idiotic mumbling and now this?"

"Da- "

He opened the door and shoved her out into the hall. The brunette lost her footing from the force and hit the floor. Her tears ran down her face as she looked back up at her father. He was breathing heavy as he glared at her.

"You know, there's one thing that makes me happy," he informed as he threw the pamphlet at her on the floor, "That you're your mother died before she had to see what a disappointment you are."

Beca felt a stab in her chest that she knew had nothing to do with her heart; at least not physically. Warren looked her over once more, shaking his head at the crying girl.

"You don't deserve her name."

With those last words to cut into her even more, he slammed the door and left her in the hall. Beca felt a powerful storm of nausea settle into her stomach. She couldn't believe what just happened; mostly. Part of her knew she shouldn't be surprised. He'd always been hard, but she hadn't expected the cruelty that just spewed from his mouth. Not when she had just told him such big news.

Sobs built in her chest as she realized he had just told her honestly how he felt about her. How he must have always felt about her.

But what he said about her mother…

"Oh God," Beca whispered to herself as she felt the urge to throw up.

She scrambled to her feet and stumbled towards the door, desperate for air and space.

Once she made it outside, she took unsteady steps around the side of the building; bracing her hand against the brick and bending over. She heard her phone chime that she had a message but couldn't be bothered as she gasped for breath.

She felt it coming a second before her stomach could wait no longer and emptied all it's contents onto the ground. Her hand shook violently as she wiped at her mouth. She continued to pull desperately for breath; turning as her knees got weak and sliding with her back down the wall until she was sitting down.

Her phone went off again.

She looked around at the shadows creeping across campus as evening fell. The darkness grew, and her lungs refused to get enough air, she felt her heart beating painfully fast. It felt like knives pushing through her chest with each beat.

It reminded her of being locked in the closet again; when she'd gotten so panicked and worked up until she passed out to the sound of her heart thumping in her ears.

Something she knew now could be attributed to her diagnosis; the result of her heart working too hard as the doctor explained during their meeting. Her fucking messed up heart; just like the rest of her.

 _A stupid, miserable, mess._

She had to calm down.

She hadn't picked up her medicine yet. The pills that, according to the same doctor, would keep her heart from getting too worked up; because if it did she could pass out, as she had in the past, or in the worst case, cause a heart attack.

She had to calm down.

She had to calm down.

But her brain wouldn't stop. It was getting dark still and she kept hearing her father's horrible words, kept feeling the walls of the closet. Her heart still running wild in her chest.

Knowing she could be in real trouble, she pulled out her phone; ignoring the texts, Beca straight to calling. Chloe answered as quickly as she'd hoped.

"Hey!" the redhead answered enthusiastically, "I was wondering when you'd- "

"Chlo…C-Chloe…" she began with her voice trembling as she struggled for clear oxygen.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked suddenly serious at the sound of Beca's tone, "Where are you?"

She could hear the jingling of keys and Chloe saying something to someone else, presumably Aubrey.

"Ne…Need…"

"Ok, Ok, I'm coming. I'm coming, baby."

Beca felt herself grin a bit even, in her current predicament, at the endearment. She thought Chloe said something else, but it was all getting farther away.

She winced at the pain in her chest and her eyes danced over her surroundings.

"Dark…" her airless voice spoke softly between gasps.

Chloe spoke again but Beca couldn't make out the words. She lost her grip on the phone, letting it fall to the ground beside her as she slumped over completely.

"Beca? Beca!" Chloe called into the phone desperate for a response. She looked over at Aubrey who was driving so she could stay on the phone, "She stopped answering, Bree."

"Did she say what was wrong or where she is?"

"No, but she was going to talk to her dad. Head towards the Lit Building," she instructed and went back to the phone, "Beca! She didn't disconnect, I can still hear, but she's not…Beca, please answer me!"

They got to the building and Chloe ran out of the car.

"Beca!" Chloe screamed, immediately telling the blonde, "She's here somewhere, I heard myself through the phone just now. Come on."

It took them just a couple more minutes to come across the girl crumpled limp in the grass.

"Beca! Oh my God," Chloe called terrified at the sight. She and Aubrey fell to their knees beside her and Chloe rolled the fallen brunette over.

Aubrey checked her for a moment before speaking in a breath of relief.

"She's breathing."

"Her heart," Chloe said; shaking with worry as she put her hand over Beca's chest to feel it. "We have to get her to the hospital, just to be safe. She hasn't started the medicine yet, it could be…" she trailed off, running her hands over Beca's face, "We have to go, now!"

Aubrey nodded quickly, "Ok, should we call an ambulance?"

Chloe sniffed and shook her head, "It'll be quicker if we get her to the car. Come on, you get her legs."

The two were able to get Beca to the car and into the backseat with relative ease; the redhead automatically joining her there while Aubrey drove.

Chloe held her girlfriend's torso curled against her, tucking her head underneath her chin as she held her tightly. She pressed several kisses to Beca's head while whispering to her repeatedly.

"it's going to be ok. You're going to be ok. Please be ok."

The girl in her arms twitched as they turned onto the main road, but her eyes remained closed.

"Beca?"

Her face pulled into a grimace and her arm twitched again.

"Beca? Can you hear me?"

"Dark," Beca repeated the same whispered word she'd said on the phone, followed by another grimace.

"It's ok," Chloe responded, stroking Beca's hair, "We're going to get you to the doctor and everything is going to be just fine."

She felt the girl in her arm tense up.

"I want out."

Beca's voice cracked as she said the strange words. Chloe didn't know what it meant, but she continued to assure her as best she could.

* * *

It was hours after they got to the hospital and Beca was admitted and seen to, that Chloe was ready to cry with happiness as she saw Beca's eyes begin to open. The redhead was holding one of Beca's hands and moved to hold it in both of hers now that she was waking up. She saw the darker eyes roam lazily around the room until landing on her.

"Hey you," Chloe smiled with wet eyes, "How you feeling?"

Taking stock of how her body felt, Beca answered, "Sore."

She looked down at the wired sensors stuck to her chest beneath her gown. She heard beeping and looked to the side, opposite Chloe, she saw the large monitor and a smaller one as well; a narrow paper hanging out of a slot on it as if recently printed. She looked back to Chloe after taking in her situation.

"What hap-happened?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, "you called me, out of breath and needing me. Aubrey and I found you on the ground on campus. I did not appreciate that, by the way. Next time you want to surprise me, try flowers or something, ok?"

Beca gave her a small smile, "Sorry."

"I mean it Mitchell," she continued to tease, "Pull this again and there'll be consequences. You get me?"

"Yes ma'am," she whispered.

Chloe smiled and leaned over to share a quick kiss before placing a hand on Beca's head; stroking her thumb back and forth over her forehead.

"The doctors think you're fine now but want to monitor your heart for a while before letting you go home."

Beca nodded to show she understood.

Chloe looked at her with concern in her eyes.

"Do you remember what happened before you called me?"

Beca thought back to the last thing she remembered.

"I t-told mmy da-dad," she recalled; she cleared her throat, "D-di-didn't g-go w-well."

Chloe's face darkened.

"What happened?" she questioned and sighed, "There's a big bruise on your arm, did he do that?"

Beca looked down at her arm, the skin exposed by the hospital gown and she saw the darkened splotch where her father had grabbed her.

"Beca, please," she tried again, "What did he do? What did he say?"

Beca shook her head.

"N-Nothing im-import-tant."

Chloe sighed and squeezed her girlfriend's hand.

"Beca, if he said or did something that upset you; that got you so worked up that this happened, _please_ tell me," Chloe paused to sniff back some building tears, "I just want you to be safe. I _need_ you to be safe. Please."

Beca swallowed, feeling the passion in Chloe's words.

"I'll t-tell y-you," she promised, "I w-will. B-But not n-now. Pl-Please."

"Deal," Chloe smiled in agreement.

The two settled into a comfortable silence with Chloe moving her chair as close as possible to the bed, laying her head beside Beca's on the pillow. Beca had suggested Chloe join her in the bed the redhead refused out of fear she would hurt her girlfriend.

Beca was the first to break the silence with a question.

"W-Will you help me with s-someth-thing?" she asked.

"Of course," the older girl replied without hesitation, "Anything."

Beca looked at their joined hands and glanced up to meet Chloe's eyes.

"I w-want to f-find out m-more ab-about my mom."

Chloe was a bit surprised by the request. However, she realized it meant she wouldn't have to think of sneaky runaround ways to find out anything without letting Beca know what she was doing. Chloe pressed her lips to Beca's temple and held up their entwined hands.

"Where do we start?"

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	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry, Sorry! Anyone who peeps my Tumblr might've seen my vague post about stepping away from stuff for a little bit while I dealt with some personal stuff. But I'm back now! This chapter probably isn't very exciting by some standards but by others it may be a doozy as far as the plot development and movement goes. We're gearing up for some big stuff guys! Stuff that isn't far off! By my outline there aren't that many chapters left, but I won't give you a number because I never know when I'm going to flesh it out and add some more between now and the final chapter.**

 **Anyway, enough of that, off we go!**

 **Chapter 17**

Beca was released with instructions to take care of herself and start taking her pills ASAP. Not to mention the stern reminder of how lucky she was to not have had a heart attack; Chloe squeezed her hand extra tight when hearing that.

As the couple left the room Beca led them to the elevator instead of leaving the building. Chloe seemed to understand what Beca needed so she didn't question the move. The redhead only gave her an encouraging smile and set a hand on her lower back as the doors opened.

They wordlessly walked down the tiled corridor until stopping in front of a door. Chloe turned to Beca and ran a hand up and down her girlfriend's arm.

"You ok?"

Beca nodded.

"Do you want to go in alone?"

Beca looked between Chloe and the room a few times, uncertain.

"Yeah, I m-mean, for a f-few minutes. I-If that's ok?"

Chloe smiled and spoke softly, "Of course. Take as long as you need."

Beca put her lips to Chloe's cheek in a soft kiss of appreciation before silently slipping into the room. The young brunette hesitated a few moments at the foot of the bed. She looked over the woman, making note of her face. The swelling had reduced, but it only made the plethora of bruising on her skin more apparent. She awkwardly sat in the available seat beside the bed.

"Hi," she spoke before clearing her throat, "I d-don't kn-know if you c-can he-hear me, b-b-but I…" she paused; sighing and clearing her throat once again, "I'm so-sorry, Sheila. This-This is probably the mmo-most I've ever s-said to you an-and you're n-not awake f-for it."

She ran a hand through her hair and looked sadly upon the unconscious woman.

"You-You've alwa-ways been nnice to m-me. You tr-tried; I c-could see ho-how hard you tried. How mu-much it h-hurt you w-when I …" she stopped again, moving her hand to hover over Sheila's for a second. Beca opened and closed her fist a few times before laying it carefully on the still hand. She let out a breath.

"It w-wasn't be-because…" she sighed again, not even sure what she wanted to say or how to say it, "Bu-But you st-still did s-so m-much for mm-me. You ga-gave me so mu-much with th-those p-p-pictures. I can-can't th-thank you en-enough. Ever."

Beca sniffed and ran the back of her free hand under her nose.

She dropped her head and tried to calm herself. She took several deep breaths to recover. Beca hadn't lied when she said it was the most she'd ever spoken to Sheila; it was also the most she'd ever spoken in one sitting at all. Even with Chloe there was dialogue back and forth. This was just her uninterrupted. It felt like she had been running laps.

She closed her eyes against the burn of growing tears. They were only shut half a second when they shot open again and looked at the bed, specifically, at her hand, where the hand she held was holding hers back. She stared at Sheila's hand clasping hers, almost afraid to look up her face.

The hand in hers gave a purposeful squeeze that Beca took as encouragement and forced her eyes upward. She let out a breath of relief and surprise when she saw Sheila's bleary-eyed gaze on her.

"Ch-Chloe!" she called over her shoulder as loudly as her choked voice would allow.

Her girlfriend popped her head in, concerned then shocked when she saw Sheila awake.

"Ge-Get s-s-some-one."

Chloe nodded and hurried off while Beca returned her focus back to the woman in bed.

"I-It's ok," she tried to comfort her, "D-Do you n-need any-anything? Are y-you in p-pain?"

Sheila's eyes wandered the room a few moments before landing back on Beca. The young girl saw her jaw muscles clench for a second before her face screwed up in pain.

"E-Easy. Your ja-jaw is w-wired."

Sheila seemed to digest this information, running the fingers of her free hand carefully over her face. Beca saw the tears spring to her eyes and heard the monitor speed up as the woman seemed to be panicking.

"I'l-I'll ssee where Ch-Cloe is w-with- "Beca tried to get up as she spoke but was halted by the hand tugging her back.

Sheila looked at Beca wild frantic eyes. Her lips parted slightly, cautiously moving a moment as if loosening them for the new way she had to speak. She kept her eyes intently on Beca.

"Certificate."

The muffled word reached Beca with confusion.

"Wh-What?"

"Found. Certificate." She struggled out the short words, "Death."

Beca wondered if this was similar to people trying to understand her when she spoke.

"A de-death certific-cate?" she wondered, then had a thought, "You f-f-found mmy m-mother's-"

Beca stopped talking when Sheila began frantically shaking her head.

"I don't un-under- "

It was this moment when Chloe returned with a doctor and a nurse in tow. Sheila realized her ability to speak to Beca was basically gone for the moment. She tried to get the most important part out quickly.

"Stay away. Father."

Beca's eyes widened, wondering if she was saying what it sounded like. She opened her mouth to ask but was ushered out by the doctor while he looked his patient over.

Chloe led her out of the room and into the hall while she remained in her shocked daze. She kept her eyes on the door of the room as they stood outside of it.

"Hey," she heard Chloe say beside her and felt her hand on her shoulder, "Are you ok? What happened?"

Beca looked at the older girl and then back to the room.

"Sh-She…" she gestured to the room, trailing off for a moment, "M-My d-d-d-dad. Sh-she s-s-said to st-t…st-stay away f-from hi-him."

Chloe's brows raised and then furrowed.

"What?" the redhead questioned, afraid of the answer to her next question, "Why?"

Beca shook her head.

"I d-don't…" she paused and looked at Chloe once again with her wide eyes, "C-Chloe, I th-think…c-could h-he ha-have d-done th-this?"

Chloe wanted to tell Beca no. She wanted to ease her very obvious fear and say there was no way her father could have done something so terrible; so vicious. And to someone he supposedly cared about. Because if he could do this Sheila, Chloe was terrified that he could, and possibly already _had_ done the same to his daughter and believable cover it up. She very nearly let the words out, if just to comfort herself as well as Beca. However, she couldn't bring herself to tell another lie to the brunette; this one so much bigger than a fib about a physical.

So, she answered honestly.

"I don't know."

Beca took an uneven breath and nodded, seemingly accepting the response for a moment before a sob escaped her suddenly. Chloe's heart broke and she immediately pulled Beca against her, wrapping her arms tightly around the small, quivering body.

She pressed a kiss to her temple and spoke softly to her.

"It's going to be ok," she tried to assure her, even as she, herself, was uncertain, "I don't know what's going on, but it's going to be ok."

She didn't know if Beca actually believed her words, but she nodded against her chest anyway and circled her own arms around Chloe as if she'd drown if she let go.

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Aubrey was in the living room in the middle of her yoga stretches when the door opened and Chloe came in, followed by Beca; the two in the middle of a conversation.

"…at m-my dorm," was the end of Beca's sentence as she walked in with Chloe behind her.

"Don't be silly," Chloe responded, "Why take a shower in the dorm stalls when there's a perfectly good one here. Plus, this one has an actual door."

Beca gave a smirk.

"Don't w-want any w-weirdos just w-walking in on m-me, r-right?"

Chloe grinned and turned to face her, reaching out her hand to dance her fingers across Beca's collarbone.

"Wouldn't that just be the _worst_."

This accomplished Chloe's goal of getting Beca to smile.

"Mm-hmm," she sounded as she leaned in for a kiss, which caused Aubrey to avert her eyes to allow the couple the cute moment they hadn't had the opportunity have too often lately.

"Mm," Chloe said against her lips before pulling back, "Go shower. You smell like hospital."

Beca nodded, allowing the weight of the day to be visible on her face before heading towards the hallway. She spotted Aubrey and raised a hand in a small wave to greet the blonde.

Aubrey sat back on her heels and returned it with a smile, "Hi Beca."

The freshman paused a moment and turned back to Chloe once more.

"C-Can I ha-have the…" she gestured to the white paper bag in Chloe's hand, glancing sideways to Aubrey self-consciously as she did so.

"Oh, yeah," Chloe handed over the bag they'd picked up from the pharmacy on the way back from the hospital, "Here you go. Are you ok to- "

"Yeah," Beca answered with a sad smile in the middle of the question, feeling awkward to have this new part of her life on display in front of someone else.

"Ok, I'll be here if you need anything."

Chloe watched her go until she disappeared into the bathroom. When she was out of sight, Chloe fell onto the couch and draped her arm over her eyes.

Aubrey stood and stretched her arms over her head as she looked down at her friend.

"Did something happen with Beca's release?" Aubrey questioned while continuing through her routine, "You were gone a while."

"No, the release went fine."

"Then what's wrong?" she asked as she rolled her shoulders.

"So much I don't even know where to start."

The blonde stopped what she was doing and walked to the couch. She tapped Chloe's leg to have her lift them up long enough for Aubrey to sit as well.

"Talk to me," she requested.

Chloe remained silent in thought, trying to decide how to explain the events of the afternoon.

"Sheila woke up."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Chloe rubbed her face, "That's good."

Another moment passed and the girl sat up to face her roommate.

"Can I ask you something?" she questioned, "Something that might seem crazy and I don't want to offend you or anything."

"Of course," Aubrey answered with a shrug; there was very little the two kept from each other so she wasn't worried, "Go ahead."

Chloe took a breath as she attempted to figure out the best way to word what she wanted to say.

"Your dad, he was…is pretty…tough on you," she started, watching Aubrey shift on the couch cushion at the mention of the general. When she settled back in position, Chloe continued, "Was there ever a time, or anything that happened, that made you think… were you ever _afraid_ of him. That he would, you know, escalate, beyond words with you or anyone?"

"Chloe what are you asking?" Aubrey questioned with, her eyes narrowing for a moment before asking for clarification, "Are you asking if my father…hit me?"

Chloe winced at the blunt wording. Thankfully, Aubrey didn't force her to say so and just answered for her.

"Never," Aubrey stated honestly, "He's an intense man with a strong sense of discipline and …expectations for his family, but he would never raise a hand to any of us. He would never. I grew up respecting him, I never feared him."

"Good," Chloe exhaled in relief, "That's good. I'm so glad to hear you say that. _So_ glad."

Aubrey put her hand on her friend's shin that rested on her lap and gave it a squeeze. She had barely opened her mouth to ask why Chloe would wonder this when she spoke again.

"Beca's afraid of her dad."

The redhead waited after her statement until she saw understanding of what she was actually saying come across the blonde's face.

"You think…?" she asked carefully

Chloe glanced over, listening to ensure Beca was still engrossed in her shower and wouldn't be appearing in the middle of the discussion.

"I don't know if anything ever happened, but…I saw today that she believes he may be capable of some awful things. And I don't think she could believe that if she didn't have…reasons."

Aubrey tried to reconcile what Chloe was saying with the man whose class she had taken. Her first instinct was to think it was crazy. But the more she thought about the possibility, the more random memories seemed to be evidence that Professor Mitchell could be that person. She recalled the little remarks he'd made about his, then unknown to her, daughter.

Little asides about laziness, lack of effort, and overall disappointment.

At the time she had no reason to think anything of it other than accepting the image painted for her by the man.

"What can we do?" Aubrey questioned, "What do you want to do?"

"Beca wants to find out more about her mom. You think you could help us out? I know your family has all these random connections, maybe there's someone we can talk to that might be able to help?"

"Yeah, of course," Aubrey answered right away, "Whatever I can do."

Chloe licked her lips, working up her courage to say the next words.

"As for what I _want_ to do," she started cautiously, "I want to ask Beca to stay here with us."

This caught Aubrey off guard.

"Have her move in?"

"Yes," Chloe nodded, then hurriedly added, "If you agree, obviously."

"That's a, uh, a big step for you two," she said carefully, "Are you sure?"

"I know, but, I'm not thinking about it for our relationship," she began explaining, pausing at Aubrey's raised eyebrow, "Ok, I am partly. But, really, really, it's mostly because I don't like the idea of her staying at the dorm when her dad knows her schedule and can just show up whenever he wants. I'd feel better if she were here with us where we know she's safe."

Aubrey rubbed her hand down her face and sighed. Chloe had a good point.

"If you're sure…" she waited as Chloe nodded, "…Alright, yeah. It's fine with me."

"Really?" Chloe asked sounding surprised.

"Really," Aubrey responded, but went on before Chloe could get too excited, "But I'll be setting ground rules. Living with a couple, there's going to need to be rules."

Chloe smiled; she expected nothing less from Aubrey Posen.

"Well, hold off on putting that list together," Chloe suggested as she heard the shower shut off, "She has to say yes first."

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	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello all! I don't have much to say at this point (there's another note at the bottom) just a fair warning this does get dialogue heavy for a bit near the end. I hope you enjoy that part as much as I did.**

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 **Ch 18.**

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Beca sat on the edge of Chloe's bed, looking up at her girlfriend who was wringing her hands together. She was looking back at her waiting for a response. When Chloe said she wanted to talk to her, Beca honestly wasn't expecting the question at all. She had been caught off guard and tried to think it over.

"Um, I don't, I don't kn-know Chlo," she finally spoke, rubbing her hands over her jeans, "It's a bi-big s-step. W-We haven't ev-even…you know."

"I know, I know," Chloe began immediately, pulling her desk chair over to sit across from her, "I'm not trying to pressure you into that or anything; I would never. I just think with everything going on, you'd be safer staying here."

"S-Safer?"

"You know, with Sheila and maybe what she said about your dad…I don't like the idea of you staying in the dorms when he can show up at any time. Plus, it makes sense; 'cause I can help you with your schoolwork each night, and we can ride to campus together. We can even work on choreography and everything for the Bellas. It just makes sense. And-And we don't have to share the bed or anything if you're not ready. The couch folds out, we'll just kiss goodnight and then I'll go into the living room for the night."

Beca listened to Chloe's reasoning and had to admit it made sense. Maybe too much sense; it was all very practical. She didn't want to move in with Chloe because it was practical; she would want it to be, at least partly, based on emotion. She wanted her to say that she wanted Beca to live with her because she wanted to live with her. Because she wanted to spend each morning with her and see her each night.

She couldn't help but notice that with all of Chloe's reasons, she hadn't mentioned that. Beca wanted to vocalize this to Chloe, but she didn't want to hear her say it just to get Beca to agree to stay there. She took a breath and prepared her answer, knowing it wasn't the one Chloe wanted to hear.

"I don't th-think ss-so," she said regretfully.

Chloe's face fell instantly. She knew it was sudden, but she really hadn't expected Beca to turn her down. She shook her head.

"What?" she asked, "You're…You're saying no?"

"I'm s-saying," she cleared her throat, "N-Not now nnow."

Chloe let her disappointment show on her face and Beca dropped her head. She hated upsetting her. She felt like she was always finding a way to let her down or make her life more difficult. Her hand rose to grab some hair, tugging on it as self-deprecating thoughts began to fill her head telling her all the ways she was an awful girlfriend.

"Hey," Chloe's voice came softly; reaching out to release Beca's grip. She'd learned quickly that it was a habit of Beca's when she began to feel overwhelmed. She moved her hand so it was holding her own instead, "Don't, it's ok."

Beca swallowed, feeling Chloe's warm hand around hers.

"I sh-should," she cleared her throat, "I should go."

She stood up with Chloe immediately mirroring her action.

"No, Beca, you don't have to."

Beca only shook her head, not wanting to endure the awkwardness that would surely be hanging around for the rest of the day.

"I'll tex-text you in the mor-morning," she promised as she threw her bag over her shoulder and left the bedroom.

"Beca, wait. Beca."

She didn't turn around while rushing to the front door. She passed Aubrey, who saw her go by from the kitchen.

"Beca, you aren't staying for lunch?" she asked in surprise.

Beca didn't answer and soon after she saw Chloe hurry by as well.

"Beca," she called and hurried to catch her at the door, "If you want to leave, just, here, take your medicine."

She hand the bottle to her that she'd forgotten in her rush to escape.

"Please, remember to take one in the morning and let me know when you get home. Please."

Beca accepted the pills and nodded, "Ok."

"Ok," Chloe replied and stepped back sadly, allowing her girlfriend to leave if that's what she wanted.

Apparently it was because Beca opened the door; disappearing from sight as quickly as she could. Chloe took a shaky breath, continuing to stare at the door for a few moments, willing Beca to come back through.

She heard Aubrey behind her.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

Chloe kept her gaze on the door, eyes reddening as the tears built up.

"She said no."

A sob busted from her chest and she spun around to throw herself into her best friend. Aubrey wrapped her arms around her body, letting her cry.

"She said no and she left so fast," she said, crying into her.

"Shh, it's ok," Aubrey said while rubbing her back, "Come sit and tell me what happened."

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Beca entered the station, even though she didn't have a shift, desperate for the mundane work to busy her mind. She dropped her bag on the No-Sex Desk and was glad to see there was a pile of CD's waiting to be sorted. As soon as she had her hands on the plastic cases the door to the booth popped open and Luke came out holding a group of CD's. He looked surprised to see her.

"Becky," he greeted in what she had now accepted as his nickname for her, "You're not on today."

"I kn-know, I j-just ne-need…" her words ended with a sigh, the shock and emotion from the recent conversation muddling her mouth.

"No worries," he replied after her pause, "The stacks are a good place to clear your head. Trust me, I know."

She was grateful to work with Luke; he was pretty perceptive and never made her feel silly or stupid when she spoke.

"Of course," he started again before she could begin to start working, "If what's sent you here is anything like what does the same to me, could be helpful to talk to an impartial third party experience in the area."

She looked at him curiously as he went back to the booth door, pausing before going in and looking at her.

"Come," he tilted his head towards the room, "talk to a veteran in the lady trouble department."

He entered, confident she would follow. Beca hesitated in the doorway; thinking of the set rule about No Freshman booth rule. He looked up at her from the desk and waved her to the chair across from him.

"Come on," he said again and lid on the headphones, "Just need to queue up the next group."

She obeyed and took her seat, waiting for him to finish. Once he did he dropped the headphones to hang around his neck and looked at her.

"So let's hear it," he suggested kindly, "What's the problem with you and the redhead? Whatever it is, I'm sure I've been there."

Beca licked her lips, deciding it would probably be good to hear from someone else. She had no experience to fall back on for the situation she was in and Luke could be a voice of reason.

"C-Chloe," she said first so he wouldn't have to keep referring to her as 'the redhead.'

"Chloe," he repeated with a nod, "What's up with you and Chloe?"

"Sh-She as-asked me to mmove in."

"Ah," he leaned back in his chair, "Moving too fast for you, then?"

She shook her head, glancing down at her lap.

"It's not that," she admitted, rubbing her hands together, "It's j-just…she h-had a whole li-list of reasons. Bu-But it w-was all so-so…ffact-factual. She nnever…"

She took a breath, letting her words hang.

"I see," she looked up, seeing his thoughtful nod, "She was only talking practical benefits and such. You need a romantic benefit, too."

"N-Not li-like that," she said flustered; assuming he meant sex.

"I know," he responded, "You want the reassurance that it's not just because carpooling makes sense. That it's about your relationship, too."

Beca nodded, glad he understood.

"Did you tell her that?" when she shook her head, he followed up with, "How did you leave things?"

Beca began explaining what happened, neither noticing Jesse near the door Beca forgot to close when she entered. He had come downstairs and saw Beca through the window. Originally he approached ready to make a sarcastic remark about breaking the rules, but stopped when he heard them talking.

He eavesdropped on their conversation for a minute, getting the gist, before heading over to the desk. He opened the drawer and took out the intern folder. Quickly finding Beca's information, he scanned the sheet until he found what he was looking for.

Beca's emergency contact.

His eyes read over where her father had been scratched out and Chloe's name and number written instead. He remembered how upset he'd been when he saw her changing it; officially putting to paper that he no longer had a chance with her.

If he ever had one to start with.

With his mission in mind, he pressed the numbers into his phone and returned upstairs so he wouldn't be overheard.

Chloe sniffled, wiping her cheeks as she lifted her head from Aubrey's lap when her phone rang. Not recognizing the number, she answered cautiously.

"Hello?" her confusion settled in when the caller identified himself and began talking. She sat up straighter, Aubrey looking at her curiously and mouthing 'Who is it?' Chloe held up her hand to focus on the call.

"That's ridiculous, of course I-"she was cutoff as the voice interrupted her and continued on. When he finally finished, seemingly ready to allow her to speak, she asked, "Why are you telling me this? Why would you help when you-"

"Because I want her to be happy," Jesse interrupted her again, feeling his hand tighten around the phone and rubbing his temple. He glanced back towards the stairs, "You make her happy. Don't blow it."

He ended the call and Chloe stared at the phone in her hand.

"Who was that?"

Chloe managed to unfreeze her eyes and moved them up to Aubrey. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before finally finding her voice.

"I have to go."

"What?" Aubrey asked watching Chloe get up and hurry to the door, "Chloe –"

The door slammed, cutting her off. Aubrey sighed and slouched back into the couch.

"They're both idiots."

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After finishing her conversation with Luke, Beca had to admit she did feel a bit better. He convinced her that the only way for them to really move forward, if Beca wanted to move forward, was to tell Chloe how she felt; something she was certainly not looking forward to doing.

She was pretty sure if Chloe wanted them to live together for that reason, she would have said it. But maybe she wasn't sure; maybe she was waiting for them to sleep together, even though she said she wasn't. Maybe she wanted to make sure Beca was any good in that department. She had probably planned to have Beca stay only as long as she needed until things calmed down, then she'd be out on her own again.

No, Chloe wouldn't do that.

She tried to shake away those negative thoughts and focus on anything else as she began going through the albums. She thought about Sheila, whose parents would be flying in to be with her the next day. Beca had already figured she'd keep her distance while they were there to avoid awkwardness and privacy. They would likely think Beca had no reason or right to be there, since they weren't related by blood or marriage.

She thought next of her mother and her mission to find out all she could about her; at the absolute least, she wanted to know if a flawed heart was something they shared. Chloe had suggested looking up her obituary to start, hoping maybe it would mention the hospital she'd been in when she died and they could go from there.

Then she thought of her father –

Her thoughts were halted when the door to the station flew open with a jingle of the overhead bell.

"Beca!"

The voice shouted through the station and Beca dropped the CD's she'd been holding. She looked around the side of the shelf and saw Chloe hurrying into the building. Eyes widening when she spotted Beca and she ran over to her.

"Beca!" she said again, taking hold of her hands, "Thank God!"

"W-What's wrong?" she asked of her frantic behavior, thinking Chloe would only be acting this way if there were some kind of emergency.

"Me," Chloe said, "I'm wrong, I mean what I said was; didn't say actually."

"Wha-What?"

Thankfully, she began explaining what she meant right away.

"When I asked you to move in, I gave you all the reasons I had for doing it," she began, gripping her hands tighter, "except the biggest one. I think because I was sure you already knew, or maybe I was afraid to say it; worried it would scare you away if I said it out loud. But that was stupid; I should've started and ended with it. So I'll tell you now."

Beca shifted her weight between both feet, nervously looking at her.

"Tel-Tell me what?"

Chloe lifted their hands up as she stepped closer to her, holding them between their chests and looking into those complicated blue eyes.

"That I want you to move in with me because you snore. Not all the time, but sometimes, when you're really exhausted, you snore. Because it bothers you so much when you see me dog-ear book pages so you wait 'til I put it down to try to undo the crease and put whatever random thing you can find in as a bookmark instead."

Chloe let out a laugh as she saw Beca's cheeks begin to color with embarrassment that she noticed those things. Chloe removed her hands from Beca's and placed them on either side of her neck, letting her fingers play with the fine hairs at the back in that way she knew Beca loved.

"Because you hum to yourself when you're eating something you really like and you don't even realize you're doing it. Because no matter what you're doing, when that brilliant mind comes up with an idea for a mix, you write it down on your arm so you don't forget. And sometimes I can still see the words there days later," she brought one hand down to Beca's forearm where she knew the faintest remnants of blue ink could be seen if you were close enough, "Because there's a million more things I can name, and if you need me to prove it I'll stand here all day to do it. I want to see and hear all of these things every day as much as possible and learn any other little quirks I don't know yet. But most of all…"

She took a breath, building her courage. She cupped one hand against Beca's cheek, rubbing her thumb gently over the skin to wipe at the tear that had fallen.

"Because even though it's only been a few weeks, I'm falling in love with you, Beca Mitchell."

She heard Beca's breath hitch at her confession. Chloe's remained held in her chest, waiting as silence settled after she spoke. Her fingers fidgeted nervously against Beca's skin.

"Can you," she started, attempting to hide her fear, "Can you say something, please?"

Beca attempted to get a hold on the wild swirl of emotion that had developed while Chloe spoke. When she was finally able to speak, her voice came out in a whisper.

"You love me?" she asked, not trusting what she'd heard, "Really?"

"I do," Chloe nodded quickly, the air leaving her chest in a laugh, "And I'm not just saying that so you'll say it back or to make you say yes, I just-"

Beca's lips crashed into hers, erasing what she was about to say. Chloe's surprise vanished almost instantly and she returned the kiss, her hands moving to rest on Beca's hips; fingers curling. When they pulled apart, Chloe let her forehead rest on Beca's; smiling as their breath mingled. Her eyes closed, feeling new at finally admitting to Beca what she'd been so afraid to say.

"I sh-should go to my dorm," Beca said after a couple minutes.

Chloe opened her eyes and took a quiet breath, determined not to make her feel bad about her decision.

"Ok," she felt Beca's arms tighten around her.

"I, uh, need to get my stuff before we go home."

Chloe lifted her head, her smile splitting her face as Beca's meaning sunk in and she pressed another strong kiss against her lips.

"I've got my car," she informed her.

Beca chuckled at her enthusiasm and went to grab her bag. Chloe waited where she stood, glancing up and caught sight of Jesse watching from at the bannister on the top floor. Their eyes met and he nodded once at her as Beca returned to her side. Chloe gave her a smile and looked back up to Jesse briefly, wrapping her arm around Beca's shoulders; holding her close – almost possessively, knowing he was watching – and gave her attention back to Beca.

Jesse let out a long sigh as he watched the girls leave together, wishing he were a more selfish person.

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A/N: **Originally the 'move in together' conflict wasn't going to be resolved in the same chapter it started and this was going to take a different direction, but it took on a mind of its own. I guess the muse didn't want to leave the girls apart for long at all. But I'm happy with how this turned out.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Ch. 19**

"Beca?"

Hearing her name brought her out of her head, her eyes focusing back on the present before her. Dr. Baylor gave her a polite smile and gestured to the board between them, indicating it was her turn. She thought it was an interesting technique for their sessions; having conversations and exercises while they played. He said it was something about having her mind focused mainly on a task, so speech wasn't the sole focus. It certainly wasn't something she'd expected but it seemed to work mostly.

The fact that she was a fairly decent chess player certainly helped as well.

Clearing her throat, Beca scanned the board.

"Sorry, what was the…the question?" she asked while moving her bishop.

"What do you remember about your mother?" he repeated himself before making his own move.

Beca nodded, remembering what she had been thinking so hard about. She swallowed, the vague image in her head answering her question.

"Her hair," she spoke softly, seeing the dark strands hanging low over a pair of delicate shoulders in her mind, "It was dark…darker th-than mine."

She picked up her knight to make a move but just held it a moment as another thought came to her.

"Sh-She wore a necklace. This ssilver moon," she closed her eyes, trying to hold the image in her head, "I tried to grab it."

The distant memory of a silver crescent moon against creamy skin; her own chubby little hands mesmerized with reaching up for it. Beca wanted to hold on to the picture and stretch it out so she could see the face of the woman wearing it; the woman holding her.

But she couldn't.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes and put the piece down in an open square. She cleared her throat again.

"Check."

He nodded; at her words or the move she wasn't sure.

The session finished before the game, so Dr. Baylor took a photo to keep with his notes in order for them to pick up at the same spot for their next meeting and the board could be used for other patients.

Beca returned to Chloe's apartment – no _her_ apartment, their apartment – and found only Aubrey at the table with her laptop.

"Hey," Aubrey greeted as she looked up from the screen.

Beca waves in response. Honestly, she still wasn't sure how to act when it was just the two of them. Chloe had assured her that the blonde was cool with her staying there, but Beca still had some doubts. It had been a few days and she had spent them doing her best to keep her things out of the way and respect her space.

She thought about setting her bag on the couch as she walked in but glanced quickly Aubrey's way before settling back on her shoulder and taking it to Chloe's room with her.

Aubrey watched her go and let out a quiet sigh. She closed her computer and rested her chin on her folded hands for a moment; waiting a few minutes to see if Beca would come back. When she didn't, Aubrey decided to check on her. Chloe told her Beca had her therapy appointment that day and usually her girlfriend made sure to be there in case it was a rough session. That day, however, Chloe had an extended lab and wouldn't be home for a little while longer.

So, Aubrey thought, she should make sure she was ok in Chloe's place. She knocked on the open door when she approached. She saw the girl laying on the bed, a pillow held on top of her chest. Beca lifted her head and sat up.

"Hi," Aubrey said softly as she entered.

"Hi," Beca returned and swiped the back of her hand over her cheek, "D-Do you need something?"

"No, I don't need anything. I just wanted to see how you're doing," Aubrey told her, sitting down on the corner of the mattress; still keeping space between for Beca's comfort, "Are you ok?"

Beca nodded quickly. Too quickly for Aubrey to actually believe her. But rather than calling her out on it, she just made an offer, "Do you want to have some lunch? I was going to fix something, or we can go grab something if you want."

"I'm fine," she answered quietly.

"Ok," Aubrey relented and stood up to leave her to it. She stopped after a step and turned back around again, "I know we're not that close, but I want you to know Chloe isn't the only one on your side. If you need to, you can talk to me. Ok?"

Beca gave her a small appreciative smile, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she answered, "You sure you don't want some food? Still a while until Chloe is done."

Beca took a second before she decided it would be good have a friend in Aubrey. She was pretty intimidating with the Bellas, but she'd been nothing but kind and willing to help Beca outside of that. She agreed and stood up, following her captain out of the room.

The two found themselves at a nearby restaurant, in a booth at the back wall for Beca's peace of mind. Aubrey waited until they'd ordered and gotten their food before attempting to open a real conversation, so they wouldn't be interrupted. Once she had her salad and Beca her grilled cheese, Aubrey spoke.

"How are your sessions going?" she asked, "Dr. Baylor treating you alright?"

"Yeah, he-he's nice," she answered, then thought a second before adding, "Th-Thank you…for setting it up."

Aubrey smiled.

"I just showed you the door, you walked through it," she replied, "We can see the work you're doing, Beca, and the difference it's made. The Bellas are all proud of you. We've all got your back; remember that."

"I will," Beca said, fighting the smile tugging at her lips upon hearing the words.

She'd never imagined even one friend that cared about her, let alone a whole group of them; one of whom was her girlfriend. It felt surreal sometimes; like it wasn't really happening.

"Speaking of having your back," she began, "Chloe told me you guys were trying to find out about your mom."

Beca paused, her bite sitting in her mouth a moment. She hadn't realized Chloe had told Aubrey about it. She swallowed the bite and nodded.

"Well, I hope I'm not overstepping, but I talked to my uncle. He's a Chief of Medicine in New Hampshire. Now I know that's not where you're from originally, but I got the idea that we could put in a request for a medical history, and he could probably get it faster than we could going through regular channels. We just need some basic information to give him and he can request her records and send them over."

Beca was shocked to say the least, "Is that even le-legal?"

"I mean, he volunteered it; I don't think he would if it were anything that could get him in trouble."

"Wow," Beca voiced, "Th-thank you. That's…wow."

"Of course. I was emailing with him when you got home. So, if you want to do it, we can send him what he needs as soon as you're ready."

Beca was more than ready to start the process. Her excitement faltered as a thought came to her. Aubrey had said it required at least _some_ information on her mother and Beca wasn't exactly swimming in that. She remembered when she'd come to the first thought that it wasn't only that the topic was painful for her father to talk about; it was almost like her dad was keeping it from her on purpose. Like he didn't want Beca to know about her.

"What if…I don't ha-have information about her?"

Her voice was small as she asked; aware of how strange it must seem to not know the basics about her own mother. Aubrey showed pause for just a second before shrugging it off.

"That's ok," she answered, "How about, instead, we do it for you? We can get your records that way; it would include your birth information so there'll be some stuff about her there. We can start there and see the best way to move forward."

Beca nodded in fierce agreement. That she could do for sure.

An hour later, Chloe was home and had been brought up to speed on the plan. She watched Beca as she relayed the information Aubrey's uncle specified to her, the freshman fiddling with her hands as she did. Chloe could feel the nervous anticipation coming from her girlfriend as she finally had a first step towards answers.

Aubrey finished typing and clicked one more button with determination before declaring, "Sent."

Chloe smiled brightly and grabbed Beca's hand, pressing a kiss against the back of it.

"So now we just wait?" Chloe asked, "How long?"

"Well, normally it takes about 30 days, but he said he'll try to expedite it. Another perk of having him do it instead of doing it on your own. So, who knows? The important thing is we'll get them."

"Right," Chloe agreed and looked to Beca who just nodded; not saying anything as her nerves and excitement warred within her.

She had never been so close to getting this before. In a month or less, she would have information to go along with he face in the photos. Beca remained quiet as they all called it a night and got ready for bed. It hadn't even taken a whole night for them to realize that Chloe or Beca sleeping on the couch at night wasn't what either of them wanted. There was just something about falling asleep next to each other that they both craved deep in their bones.

Chloe returned to the bedroom after changing into her pajamas; they still hadn't crossed that line yet, though Beca would admit the desire grew stronger each day. Beca got into bed, Chloe turning off the light and coming to join her. She slid in so the girls were face to face with Chloe's arm immediately going around Beca's waist.

"You've been quiet since the email," Chloe mentioned, "How are you feeling about this?"

Beca adjusted her head on the pillow, looking at Chloe in the dark and feeling like she could finally voice the thoughts in her head.

"Nervous," she whispered, "Kind of scared."

"You think it won't work?" Chloe wondered, matching Beca's low volume.

"More like," she started, "scared it will."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm scared of…what I'll find out. I've…I've never known anything about her, really. I've created this idea of what she was in my imagination, what if she…she wasn't…"

Chloe rubbed her hand up and down Beca's arm as she heard the crack in her whispered voice. She understood what her concern was. She'd spent so much time building up the idea of who her mother was in her head, now with her the impending reality coming to her, there was a possibility she would be nothing like Beca imagined. Truth was it was more than likely she wouldn't be whatever perfect idea Beca had made up. That truth could have a powerful effect on the girl who'd craved that knowledge for so long.

"Listen to me," she started, "What you're feeling is perfectly normal. You've been without answers for so long, the idea of finally getting them is scary. But what I want you to remember, what you need to remember is that this is a good thing. Whatever kind of person your mother was, I have no doubt she was a wonderful woman. You have such an amazing heart, Beca, and, let's be real, you didn't get it from your dad."

Beca let out a humorless chuckle and rolled over on her back to look at the ceiling, her hand trailing up to touch her chest.

"Yeah, my heart," she said, wondering about the flawed organ beneath her fingers, "Had to get it from somewhere."

Chloe trailed her own hand up and took Beca's hand away from where it rested.

"Hey," she said and moved so she was braced on her hands and knees over Beca's body, "There is _nothing_ wrong, "she pressed a light kiss to the skin of her chest exposed by the tank top, "with this heart."

She pressed another kiss over the area and looked into Beca's eyes.

"It's perfect," she said running her fingers lightly over it.

Beca stared at her, licking her suddenly dry lips at the sight of Chloe hovering over her.

"Can you…" she started, taking a shaking breath, "do that again? Please?"

Chloe kept her eyes up to look into Beca's as she lowered her head to press her lips against her chest once more; this time letting the kiss linger before pulling back.

She noticed the way Beca's chest had begun to take larger breaths. Inspired and feeling as though she had Beca's permission, Chloe placed a kiss to a second spot near the first. Repeating the action in a soft, slow trail of kisses up the warm skin until she came to her mouth. A moan came from somewhere in deep in Beca's throat as they shared a deep kiss.

Chloe laid her body down to lay flush against Beca's, her knee moving between her legs to brush up against Beca's center. The contact caused Beca to break the kiss for the sudden shaken sound that escaped her mouth.

"Sorry," Chloe apologized instantly, "Was that ok?"

Beca closed her eyes as she let out a jerky nod, "Yeah," she breathed out, "Yeah, I-I like it."

Chloe did it again, using a little more pressure the second time. Beca took a breath in that she let out through her teeth. Her hands moving daringly, while they kissed again, towards the hem of Chloe's shirt. She paused there, her fingers teased by the warmth of the skin underneath.

Chloe pulled back and set her forehead against Beca's with her eyes closed as they breathed each other's breaths.

"Chloe," she began nervously, "Can we…?"

Chloe took a moment to make sure she really understood the unfinished question.

Looking into Beca's dark eyes, she asked, "Are you sure?"

Beca's thumbs rubbed back and forth over the bit of skin it had found.

"I'm sure," she confirmed, "I love you."

Chloe smiled, bringing a hand over to brush her knuckles over her cheek.

"I love you, too," she replied, "I love you so much."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Alright, I just have one thing to say for this chapter: Who's ready for this?**

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 **Ch. 20**

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Beca let her eyes stay on the ground as Aubrey's voice attacked them. She felt Stacie's long sigh beside her while the Bellas were reprimanded for their poor showing at the frat gathering.

Times like this made it difficult to differentiate Aubrey the captain from Aubrey the person. Beca just swallowed and kept reminding herself of everything Aubrey had said and done for her to keep calm under the harsh words. It had been a little over a week since sending the request for her records and since then she'd seen both versions of the woman multiple times.

She thanked God for Chloe.

Her girlfriend always did her best to make sure the apartment was a home base of sorts. If Aubrey was particularly heated about the Bellas progress, or lack of it, Chloe made it her mission to calm her down so that the negativity was kept out of their home.

"Beca!"

Aubrey's voice singled her out and snapped Beca out of her head. She forced her eyes up towards her and swallowed nervously, waiting for her personal criticism. Aubrey paused a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Just…get with Chloe, tighten up your choreography," she sighed, "Everyone cancel your plans, we're doing a double rehearsal session tomorrow.

A chorus of quiet groans could be heard from the group and Aubrey clenched her teeth.

"Enough!" she declared, "Get out of here."

Beca stood back awkwardly as the group dispersed around her. Stacie gave her a pat on the back and a small smile before she gathered her things and took her leave as well.

Once everyone left the area, Beca approached the co-captains where they were talking amongst themselves. She waited nearby silently until they seemed to finish and notice her. Chloe turned to her first, immediately giving her a smile.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

Beca nodded, shifting slightly under Aubrey's frustrated eyes. Chloe reached over and took hold of her hand before informing Aubrey of their plans.

"We're going to go by the hospital to visit Sheila for a while," she told her, "See you at home?"

Aubrey just nodded and turned from them to pick up her own things and go on with her day.

The couple began making their way across the quad. As they walked, Chloe began swinging their still linked hands between them. Her anxiety from before began melting away in her presence and Beca smiled at the easy silence between them. It was something she found surprising in their relationship. For nearly all her life, silence had been something forced on her in order to protect herself from the judgement of others. Her safe place growing into a prison over time that trapped her in its hold.

But with Chloe it was different.

She found she could be silent for any amount of time with her and instead of the familiar suffocation, it was…comfortable. Chloe never made her feel like as though she were failing for not speaking.

It was yet another thing to add to the long list of reasons she loved her. Spurred on by the beautiful day and her train of thoughts, Beca stopped walking and tugged on Chloe's hand. She let out a surprised squeak as she was pulled and her momentum spun her into Beca. Her hands flew out to catch onto her shoulders to steady herself and before she could question her girlfriend, Beca was kissing her.

Beca felt Chloe smiling into the kiss and she returned one of her own as they pulled apart.

"Mm," Chloe hummed and ran her hands around Beca's neck, her fingers playing with the soft hairs they found at the base, "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."

Beca just shrugged and squeezed her hands on Chloe's hips.

"Just because I love you."

Chloe smiled brightly, "Well, that's good because I kind of like you, too."

"Yeah?"

"A little," Chloe teased, scrunching her nose playfully before leaning in for another kiss.

Their moment was interrupted when Beca was jostled aside by a force hitting against her shoulder and the girls were forced apart; looking immediately for the source of the intrusion. They easily spotted Dr. Mitchell walking down the sidewalk away from them, not even breaking stride after knocking into his daughter.

Chloe angrily took a step his way, only stopping when she felt Beca's on her arm. She looked back at her and saw Beca's shake of her head. She hadn't had any interactions with her father since he blew up at her that night in his office. On the few occasions she'd seen him, he'd ignored her save for the hard look of disgust he'd send her way.

She'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt; for so long all she'd wanted was his approval and some sort of confirmation that he did actually love her. However, she couldn't deny, either, that life _was_ easier without his presence.

"Asshole," she heard Chloe mutter as he disappeared into the English building.

Beca sighed and grabbed Chloe's hand once more to resume their walk to the car to visit the hospital. Beca had just closed her door when Chloe's phone went off.

"It's Aubrey," she announced, answering without starting the car, "Hey Aubrey."

Beca waited patiently; hearing only the one side of the conversation.

"Really?" her excited voice caused Beca to glance away from where she'd been looking out the window and back over to her. Chloe looked her way, "Aubrey just got home and there's something in the mail from her uncle. She thinks it's the records."

Beca's eyes widened, her own surprise and excitement making itself known in her speech, "R-Really?"

Chloe nodded quickly.

"Do you still want to go to the hospital first or- "

"L-Let's go home," the flurry of sudden emotion almost causing her to vibrate in her seat.

Chloe returned her attention back to the phone.

"We're on our way," she told her and quickly hung up to start the car, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ev-ever be."

Chloe tangled their fingers together again and brought Beca's hand up to press a strong kiss on the back of it.

"Let's go."

They travelled to the apartment in anxious silence; never releasing each other's hand. Thankfully Aubrey had left the door unlocked so that was one less thing to take extra time. They found Aubrey sitting at the table, a manila parcel laid out before her waiting for them.

Aubrey rose as Beca dropped her bag to the floor without thought of it. With a small smile on her face, Aubrey slid the large envelope off the table into her hands and held it out for Beca.

"I believe this is for you."

Beca accepted it with a careful hand, running her fingers over the edges and corners. She looked between the two girls with her before moving over to the couch.

"Do you want to be alone?" Chloe asked still standing; allowing Beca the option of privacy for this moment.

"No," Beca shook her head and looked their way, "S-Stay please? Bo-Both of you?"

Instead of responding verbally, both Aubrey and Chloe joined her on the couch. Sitting on either side of her, Beca felt the warmth of their hands settling on her back and felt reassured in their company. She took in a deep breath and held it in her chest. She broke the seal, letting the air fall out of her as she did.

She began to pull out the contents from within; noting privately that there were few pages inside than she'd been expecting. Regardless, she took them out completely. The first page was a copy of her birth certificate, but it was a post-it stuck to it that stole her attention first.

Scrawled on the yellow square in black ink were a few words.

' _Would've been faster if you'd told me. See you at Thanksgiving. Love, David.'_

Beca furrowed her brow in confusion. She removed the note and held it to Aubrey.

"What's this me-mean?"

Aubrey shrugged; knowing as much as Beca did at this point. Beca put it aside and focused again on the first sheet of paper. She read over the information on it; running her fingers over her mother's name while smiling to herself. After several minutes of committing everything on it to memory, she moved on to the next one.

The last one?

Her confusion from before returned and multiplied by a thousand as she read the large printed words titled across the top.

Certificate of Death.

That…That was her name.

Her name on a death certificate?

"Wha…What is this?" she asked in a whisper. The paper in her hands began to shake under the growing pressure of her grip, "I don-don't underst- "

She attempted to swallow but the sudden dryness in her throat didn't allow it.

Aubrey grabbed the envelope and looked inside, even tipping it upside down to look for more.

"This has to be a mistake," she declared, "Let me see."

She took the papers from Beca and read them over. Comparing the two to each other.

Same hospital insignia.

Same signature on both pages.

The times stamps were only about ten hours apart.

"It's got to be a mistake," she said again, "I'm going to call Uncle David. It must be the wrong person. I mean, Rebecca Mitchell isn't the most unique name. He must've got the wrong one."

She stood up and took out her phone to make the call.

"Aubrey, wait," Chloe spoke for the first time since they saw those words on the paper, "I…don't think it's a mistake."

Beca looked at her, her confusion only growing more.

"W-What do you mmean?" she asked nervously, "I'm n-not d-d-d…"

She stopped, dropping her head into her hands and gripping fistfuls of hair. This didn't make sense. She thought she'd finally be getting answers.

"Chloe?" Aubrey questioned; still holding her cellphone in one hand.

"Aubrey, I think…" she paused and took a moment to slide her hands into Beca's and removing them from their tight hold on her hair. She looked to Aubrey, trying to convey what she was saying with her eyes, "The picture."

Aubrey's hand lowered the phone; understanding what she was saying, she slowly sat back down as shock took over.

"P-Picture?" Beca asked, lifting her head and looking between them for what she was missing, "Wh-What ppicture? What are y-you tal-talking ab-about?"

Chloe hated the lost look in Beca's eyes. She gave her hands a tight squeeze before rising from the cushion and hurrying down the hall. She returned quickly, holding what was clearly one of the photo's Sheila had found.

"Beca I…" she started uncertainly and chose to sit on the coffee table across from Beca, "I don't think the baby in this picture is you."

Beca could feel herself beginning to shake. Her breaths shuddered.

"Y-Yes it…W-W-Why wo-would you- "

"Sweetie, the woman in this picture, she has brown eyes. Dr. Mitchell has brown eyes," she explained and carefully held the photograph out towards her, so the image was visible. She took a breath, "And this baby has brown eyes."

She watched Beca's hand slowly move up to her face; her fingers resting on the skin below her eyes.

"But I…" she trailed off and suddenly stood up, her panting breaths audible to the others in the room, "Th-That's n-not mmme."

She pointed a finger at the picture still in Chloe's hand.

"Who-Who is th-that?"

Chloe swallowed and stood as well, approaching carefully. She was all too aware that Beca getting too worked up was potentially dangerous for her. Though she had witnessed with her own eyes that she'd taken her medicine that morning, so hopefully it would prevent an episode.

She closed her eyes a moment, knowing her words could send her into a spiral if they weren't careful. But she had to say them, nonetheless.

"I think the baby in that picture is Rebecca Mitchell."

Beca heard her words and instantly began shaking her head.

"N-No. It's-It's not m-me," Beca argued, "Y-You ssaid so. It ca-can't be."

Chloe grabbed both of her hands in her own and ran her thumbs over the smooth skin on the back of them.

"It's not you. It's Rebecca Mitchell," she paused, briefly casting her eyes back over to the papers then back to her, "And I think she's dead."

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	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Are you guys ready? We're getting close to the end. Only a few chapters left, I can't believe it. This one is just a little shorter than usual, but it had to end where it does. Hold on to your hats!**

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 **Ch. 21**

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Chloe banged on the door again, leaning in close to speak loudly through the barrier that separated her from Beca.

"Beca. Beca, please, open the door!"

She looked over at Aubrey, who stood by nervously wringing her hands, no doubt the worry and helplessness was evident in her eyes as she did. She took a breath and swallowed, toning down her voice a little as she turned back to the bathroom door to try again.

"Beca, listen, you don't have to unlock the door if you don't want to, just…just let me know you're all right. Please."

After a few terribly tense moments, she heard a quiet response come from inside.

"J-Just a second."

Chloe nodded to herself. It wasn't a confirmation that she was ok. Obviously, she wasn't ok; who would be? But the way she'd started panicking and ran to the bathroom, Chloe could only imagine the worst-case scenario until she could see Beca with her own eyes.

A few seconds later she heard the door unlock and stepped back in case Beca was aiming to come out. When she didn't, Chloe glanced once more to Aubrey. She gestured to the door, letting her know that she was going in. When Aubrey nodded in understanding, she shook out her hands and went in.

She entered quietly, closing the door behind her once more, and instantly saw Beca sitting on the closed toilet lid.

Her heart broke seeing her looking so slumped and small; as if the physical weight of what was happening was pressing down on her. Going to her quickly, Chloe fell to her knees. Her hands running up Beca's legs over her jeans as she searched for how she could help her.

"What can I do?" she asked, desperate to help in some way, "What can I do for you?"

Beca sniffled and shook her head, not moving to look at Chloe yet. She spoke while staring at her lap.

"I d-d-d-d…" she stopped and took a shaking breath before covering her face with her hand.

"Shh," Chloe voiced, "Take your time, sweetie. I'm not going anywhere."

Beca attempted to calm her breathing and get her emotions under control. She finally looked up at Chloe, her cheeks stained with already shed tears while fresh ones sat in her deep eyes.

"If-If-If it's t-t-true…" she sniffed again, struggling to speak as if she hadn't had a single therapy session, "Wh-Who am I?"

Chloe grabbed her hands and held them close to her chest.

"You are exactly who you've always been," she said with passion, "You are the most wonderful…loving, loyal, talented, smart, sarcastic person I've ever met. That's who you are. That's who you've always been and who you'll always be."

She turned her hands over and kissed her palms to emphasize her words.

"And I love that person," she swore, "Everything else, we can find out."

Beca let out a sob and dropped her head forward into Chloe. It was all too much to grab on to. It was too much. It couldn't be real. How could this madness be real?

If she wasn't Beca…who was she?

Were her parents even her parents?

She couldn't find purchase in all of it; letting her tears sweep over her again.

"Oh, Beca," Chloe breathed, leaning over to wrap herself around her as she continued to be overwhelmed. She held on tight and pressed a strong kiss into her hair. Her own voice beginning to break as her own emotions began to overtake her, "It's going to be ok. I _promise_. It's going to be ok. Do you hear me?"

She felt Beca nodding against her and closed her eyes while continuing to hold on. Soon, Beca's own arms lifted up and returned the embrace; gripping Chloe as if she were the rope keeping her from plummeting.

After some time had passed, Beca seemed to cry out all the tears she had and pulled back. She wiped at her face, trying to clean away the remains of her breakdown. Chloe ran a hand up and down her arm, offering whatever comfort she could.

"Do you want me to get you a glass of water?" Chloe offered, knowing that she could at the very least do that for her.

"That's ok," Beca said and stood up, prompting Chloe to do the same. She wiped her palms against her jeans, "c-can you g-give me a r-ride?"

Chloe raised her eyebrows, wondering where she would want to go right that minute.

"Yeah, sure," she agreed, "Where?"

"The hospital?" she answered though it sounded like a question as she requested the favor from Chloe, "I n-need to talk to Sh-Sheila."

"Of course," she agreed, "Whenever you're ready."

Beca took a second to splash some cool water on her face and gather herself before meeting Chloe in the hallway.

Chloe let Aubrey know where they were going and the two headed out without another word. She didn't try to press Beca to talk on the ride, simply hoping her presence would be some comfort as she mentally ran through what they would need to do to find out the truth about Beca's identity.

She was about to pull into the visitor's parking lot when Beca spoke.

"Act-Actually," she started, "I th-think I should g-go in alone."

"Oh."

"S-Sorry," she apologized, feeling like a jerk for disappointing Chloe and essentially just using her as a glorified taxi driver, "I j-just…"

"No, it's fine," she told her, "I'm sorry, I was just surprised. If you need to do this alone, of course you should. Do you want me to wait for you?"

"I d-don't know how l-long I'll be," she said honestly, "Y-You can go home."

"Only if you're sure."

Beca nodded.

"Ok. Call me when you're ready and I'll come get you."

"Promise," Beca nodded with a slight smirk.

"You better," Chloe smiled back and leaned over the console; the two sharing a kiss before Beca got.

She waited until she saw her go through the doors before driving down the street to wait at a nearby coffee shop. She wanted to be close when Beca needed her, having no idea how the conversation could go or if Sheila could even offer her any insight.

Upon entering, Beca automatically began the familiar path to the room she'd previously visited. She tried to mentally prepare herself for the conversation she was about to have. As she was trying to build her confidence, she came to the doorway and froze.

Empty?

She walked in and took in the sight before her.

Sheila was gone; only a vacant bed staring back at her.

Panicking, Beca returned to the lobby and went to the nurse's desk.

"W-W-Where- "

The woman behind the desk raised her hands as she stood up.

"Easy honey," she said calmly at the frenzied girl before her, "Calm down. What's wrong?"

Beca swallowed and grabbed a visible stack of post-its and a pen; quickly scribbling her question down. After reading it, the woman returned to her seat and began typing into her computer until she found what she was searching for.

"Ok, it looks like Ms. Barnes was moved to a new room this morning after her assessment," she informed, "Room 112. Oh, but I'm sorry, she's not able to have visitors right now."

"Wh-Why?"

"Some officers are here to talk to her now that she's out of the woods. They asked not to be disturbed."

"Oh," she supposed that made sense. Beca drummed her fingers awkwardly on the desk before putting her hands in her pockets, "Th-Thank you."

She turned around and headed back to the entrance. Once outside she took out her phone to call Chloe to come get her but stopped. Chloe had only just left her there; probably barely gotten home, if she'd even gotten out of the car yet. She couldn't call her back so soon; not when she was already causing so much drama for her and Aubrey with her mess. Chloe deserved to relax, if only for a little while.

So Beca put the phone away and thought until she had a different idea. Checking the time, she noted that by the time she caught the bus to campus her father – God was he even her father? – would be finished up his office hours.

If she couldn't talk to Sheila, she would go straight to the source. Chloe wouldn't want her going to him alone, but Beca needed to know and she refused to put her girlfriend in the middle of it if she didn't have to. Making a plan to bus back to the hospital when she was done and call Chloe from there, Beca made up her mind and went to the stop.

It turned out Beca was pretty good with her estimate. By the time she approached the literature building her dad had already left and was heading towards the faculty lot. She ran, trying to meet him as he as he entered the parking lot.

"Dad!" she shouted just as he got to his car.

He looked up in surprise, his face hardening at the sight of her. She came to a stop, breathing heavy and placing a hand to her chest. They stood with the car between them as she swallowed enough air to replace what she'd spent during her sprint.

"What do you want now?" he asked; opening the door and throwing his briefcase in the car. He leaned an arm on the open door and looked at her.

"I n-need to t-talk to- "

"I don't have time for this," he commented, moving to get in the car.

With a strength she didn't know she had, especially in his presence, Beca asked in loud, clear perfection.

"Who's Rebecca Mitchell?"

She saw him freeze a moment before slowly standing up straight. He recovered his composure as he looked at her over the roof of the car.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I saw…" she swallowed and willed her strength to continue, "I saw the … death certificate. My name and my birthday. But…it's not me, is it?"

The words hung heavy in the air between them for a few silent moments. To her surprise, she thought she saw his eyes soften before he ran a palm over his bearded jaw.

"Not here," he answered simply and got in the car without another word.

Beca stood by the vehicle awkwardly for a second until the passenger window rolled down. He leaned down to speak to her from within the car.

"Get in," he suggested, "We'll talk at home."

The window rolled back up. Beca looked around briefly as the sun was beginning to set on the campus. She couldn't deny how uncertain she was to do as he asked, but the need for answered was too great. She took a breath and got in.

As soon as she closed the door, she took out her phone. Even if it would upset Chloe to know she was doing this, Beca knew she should tell her where she was going now. She typed out the test to tell her just that, her thumb moving to the send button as she spoke without looking up.

"You p-promise you'll – "

Before she could finish, Warren's arm flew out; his large hand gripping her by the hair, giving her no time to react before he slammed her face first into the dashboard. Beca, instantly made unconscious by the hard impact, slumped over; the phone falling to the floor of the car.

Once satisfied that she was truly out, he easily pulled her back up to lean against the window as if she were just a sleeping passenger.

He adjusted his suit jacket before starting the car and leaving campus.

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	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Are you ready?**

 **X**

 **Ch 22**

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" _What do you think, hm?" the woman's soft voice filtered through the air, "You want to come with me? Yes, you want to come with me today, don't you? You don't want to stay here with that grouchy woman, do you?"_

 _The words curled around her as she was held carefully. She felt warm in those arms._

 _A new voice came._

" _What are you saying to her?"_

 _She felt herself being lifted up and settled in another set of arms. A familiarity settled deep within her._

" _What are you saying to my kid?"_

 _Her eyes were made level with the necklace resting against a warm neck. She watched her own little hands reach out for it in fascination. A gentle hand cupped the back of her head and a kiss was pressed on her crown._

 _She felt safe._

 _She felt loved._

" _Yeah, we're not listening to her, are we? Nope," the chest comfortably vibrated with the words._

 _The little hand she knew to be hers tried to pull the necklace pendant towards her for closer inspection, but her uncoordinated hand slipped and accidentally hit herself in the face. The shock caused her to whimper and snuggle deeper into the woman, "Aw, baby, it's ok," another kiss on her head, followed by a promise, "I got you. I've got you– "_

Beca woke with a small gasp. It immediately turned into a groan when she felt the pain radiating from her face and drilling through to the back of her head. She reached a shaking hand to the source of the pain; inhaling sharply as light filled the back of her eyelids when she touched her clearly broken nose.

She dropped her head back and swallowed against the nausea that came forth.

After a few minutes she opened her eyes and was surprised to realize that without the stars of pain dancing across her vision, she was surrounded by darkness. Her heart started pounding in her chest as the recent events returned to her.

Her dad, or whoever he might actually be, had promised her answers. She got in his car and then…

The she was here; in pain, in the dark.

Did he do this?

Trying not to panic until she knew what was going on, Beca tried to figure out exactly what her situation was. Blindly, she reached out in the dark before her.

Nothing directly in front of her. But to the side…she barely moved her arms at all before meeting walls on either side of her.

Her pounding heart somehow sped up even more, almost to the point of causing pain, as the panic she'd held back shot through her.

It couldn't be.

 _She_ couldn't be.

Beca fell forward onto her hands and knees, finding the doorknob and trying it.

Locked.

She turned and tugged and shoved to no success. Needing to confirm her fear was true, or hopefully not so, she pushed herself to her feet and reached above her head. Swallowing nervously as she found a shelf above her head. In the dark, she ran her hands along the edge and let out a hard sob when her fingertips felt the familiar chip in the wood; right where she remembered it.

The closet.

Oh God, she was locked in the closet.

Not again.

Not again!

She couldn't fight the sickness this time as the cold realization ran through her. Her body fell towards the corner in time for what little she had in her stomach to come up violently. Pushing her hair away from her face, feeling a cold sweat breaking out down her back.

 _I want out._

 _I want out._

If she said it, she could come out.

That was the rule.

That was his rule.

She just had to say it.

Beca tried to compose herself. All those therapy sessions had to come in handy now that she really needed it. She swallowed the large lump living in her throat and pressed herself up against the door.

"I…" she began, making sure to speak loud enough she could be heard on the other side, "…want…out."

She took a breath of relief at her success. She done it! Beca couldn't help the small victorious smile that came as she waited to hear the lock turning. But she heard nothing; no movement came.

"I want…out," she tried again, banging on the door as desperation began to form, "Iwantout!"

She shouted, slamming the side of her fist against the wood.

Nothing.

It wasn't fair.

She said it. That was the rule.

That was the rule!

Why wasn't he letting her out?

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Chloe was in her car, carelessly speeding as she drove with a growing pit in her stomach. She hadn't been at the café long, maybe half an hour, when her phone chimed with a message.

It was from Beca.

As she went to open it, she'd been expecting to see that she was ready to be picked up. But, instead, her stomach flipped over itself when she read it.

Beca was with her dad. They were going to his house.

Beca must have been worried about doing so alone without her knowing because she'd included the address in the text. Chloe didn't know if Dr. Mitchell would actually doing anything, but the sinking feeling that came from reading that message had her racing over anyway. She had to be sure. She had to be with her.

So, she'd put the address in the GPS and took off; simultaneously following directions while trying to call Beca as she went.

According to her map, she was eight miles away when a chirp filled the air and red and blue lights flashed in the rear view. Full of panic, she considered ignoring them and just driving; leading them to Beca by doing so. But the fear that when she got there, they would only keep her from entering the house had her reluctantly pulling to the shoulder, deciding instead she would convince the officer to help her.

"Come on, come on!" she said through clenched teeth as they seemed to take their time getting out of the car.

She had a feeling, she just knew, she couldn't waste time. With this in mind, Chloe ignored everything she'd been taught about the etiquette of being pulled over and got out of the car. This got a quick reaction and the young officer exited his patrol car and instantly gave her instruction.

"Stay where you are!" he demanded; one hand held out to stop her and the other at his hip where his holster rested, "Don't move!"

Chloe held her hands up and shouted back.

"You have to help me!" she said, "Please, I think my girlfriend's in trouble!"

He approached her cautiously, still keeping a hand at his hip.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," his voice was quieter but no less authoritative.

"Please, there isn't time," she begged, "I know where she is; I have to get to her."

He looked her in the eyes, as if trying to decide if she was telling the truth.

"What kind of trouble?"

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Warren entered the house again after he was sure he'd cleaned all the blood from the dashboard. As soon as he walked in, he heard the commotion and realized she was awake.

He went to the door where all the noise was coming from and slammed his hand against it; the impact rattling the wood.

"Shut up!" he demanded.

Beca jumped in surprise inside. She licked her lips nervously and reached up to wrap a hand around a lock of hair anxiously.

"D-Dad?" she spoke nervously, "I want out."

"Well, I'm busy," he dismissed her, "cleaning up a mess you caused. Big surprise."

She shook her head and more tears began to fall.

"W-What's g-going on? What are…" she swallowed and took a chance for answers again, "Who-Who's Rebecc- "

"Don't!" he cut her off angrily, pounding on the door again, "Don't say her name! You don't deserve it!"

"B-But- "

He growled at her insistence and suddenly the lock sounded, and the door was ripped open. Beca wasn't able to appreciate the relief of open space before his hand gripped her shirt roughly and pulled her out. The momentum sent her sprawling to the floor, barely bracing her hands in front of her to keep her already battered face from slamming into it. She pushed herself onto her back and was about to push herself up when she was interrupted by him again.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, causing a yelp of pain. She felt her teeth shake and the pain in her face and head increase when she shoved her back into the wall. A hand pressed harshly against her sternum to keep her there as a tense finger pointed at her face.

"She's my daughter. _My_ daughter, and she was perfect! She would've been the daughter I deserved. Not some worthless idiot!"

The tears blurred her vision, distorting his image as his words hit home. Chloe's suspicions were true. She wasn't Rebecca.

"Th-Then who- "

His hand pushed harder into her chest.

"What does it matter?" he challenged with a shake of his head and a condescending chuckle, "Huh? You're no one. Nothing! Some science nonsense made in the lab for those two…freaks. And look at you; just like them with that _girl_. I should've expected it."

Beca's eyes widened. Was he saying what she thought he was?

That weird dream. The two women.

Did that mean…

She began to push back against him. A new fire fueling her as she attempted to shove him away from her.

"Why me?" she asked angrily, trying to get his hand off her, "Why?!"

"I would've done anything for her," he admitted, "Why should those disgusting women get to be happy when she wasn't? When _she_ was always so good and deserving? She deserved to be a mother, not them! I tried to get that dream back for her. But she got _you_."

His hands moved to her neck faster than she could recognize the action and she felt his fury as this grip tightened.

"I failed her. You _made_ me a failure," he accused darkly, ignoring her struggles to help herself as he cut off her oxygen, "And she left me with you."

Beca writhed in his hold, desperate for air. Her hands scratching and pulling at his arms fruitlessly. Her chest began to burn, and her eyes wrenched shut.

She thought of Chloe as she began to get lightheaded. She tried to remember if she'd actually managed to send the message to her. Did she know where she was? Was she worried? Or still blissfully sitting at home with no concern?

The burn intensified, an ache filling her arms causing them to go limp.

This was it.

She was going to die. She was going to die without even knowing who she really was. She had a mother out there; two of them. Parents who loved her.

It was all she'd ever wanted. To truly have that feeling from her dream…memory?

Would they ever learn what happened to her? Did they think of her in all these years? Wonder what she was like at all?

Her knees were getting weak now.

His unrelenting grip on her throat would soon be all that kept her up. It was a fitting end, she supposed. She'd always been alone, made sense for her to die that way. Some nobody… without even a name of her own.

She just hoped Chloe would be ok. She hoped she found someone else; someone worthy who could make her happy.

A new pain suddenly spiked through her chest. So sharp and painful her eyes show open as wide as they could, tears sliding from the corners.

What was happening?

Oh God, it hurt. It hurt!

She didn't hear the crash, just felt his hands leave her throat.

Her body collapsed right away; knees crashing against the floor and falling forward. She couldn't hear the commotion around her, only the white noise that filled her ears. Face down, not even feeling the pain in her face anymore, she tried and failed to catch her breath through the phenomenal pain in her chest.

It felt like something unearthly was squeezing and squeezing. She couldn't move.

The world spun again and she found herself on her back looking up into a vague, familiar blue.

"Beca? Beca?!" Chloe cried her name as she held her head in her lap; shocked at the damage she could see on her face, "Breathe, baby. Breathe!"

She'd run towards the fallen girl as soon as Dr. Mitchell was apprehended by the police. They'd knocked and called through the front door. When they got no answer, and heard his yelling, they'd thankfully decided to break in.

Panicking, she ran her hands over Beca's cheeks as she gasped in short, uneven breaths; her face deathly pale against the smeared blood from her nose. Terrified at what the sight before her hinted at, she called out for help.

"I think she's having a heart attack!"

Beca didn't hear Chloe's desperate voice as she pleaded with her to hold on. She didn't realize her eyes were closing. All she recognized was the voice that came from somewhere, dancing into her ear as her eyes fell shut.

" _I've got you."_

" _I've got you Isabelle."_

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	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: WOW the reaction to the last chapter sure was something. Thank you all! We're winding down to the last few chapters, I hope once it's all done and dusted, the payoff was worth it for everyone.**

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 **Ch 23**

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It was terrifying how different the experience was getting Beca to the hospital this time. The last time, that awful night she'd found heron campus, the ride had been wrought with a dreadful silence. Broken by the sporadic words and sounds from Beca in her semi-conscious state or Chloe responding with quiet words of comfort and assurances that she would be ok.

The thought nothing would ever come close to the fear she felt as Aubrey drove them to the hospital; but that was before.

Before that memory of tense quiet was replaced by sounds of equipment and sirens. Of new voices, somehow sounding controlled and chaotic all at once. One person rhythmically pressing down on Beca's chest while another worked to keep her breathing…to start her breathing?

All the while, Chloe had been a spectator; helplessly watching from the sidelines and only useful when they asked a question about Beca that might help.

It felt like years of her life had passed before they finally got to the hospital. At least by that point they seemed confident enough in her heart's ability to resume beating on its own that they stopped the constant compressions. Then it was another lifetime before Chloe was allowed to see her.

But eventually she was able to breathe again; she was let into Beca's room. She had listened to the doctor's assurance that she was stable and would recover, but she still needed to see her before she could truly accept it was true.

She looked so vulnerable, swallowed up in the bed by the wires and cuffs. A plastic oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth to ease the stress of breathing; they'd had to use one meant for larger patients to keep any potential pressure off her nose that had been set and bandaged.

Chloe wondered how that had happened. Did he hit her? Hard and direct enough to actually cause the break?

The thought made her burn with rage. How _dare_ he put a hand on her? Her fists curled in anger, yearning for a chance to pay him back for everything he'd done to Beca; that night and every night and day of her life.

The beep of the monitor sounded steadily, seemingly intent on reminding her where she was and what mattered most in the moment. Anger did no good in that room.

She sat down in the provided chair at the bedside and instantly took Beca's limp hand in both of hers; raising it enough to kiss each fingertip individually.

"Oh Beca," she spoke softly; searching for what to say, "This shouldn't have happened to you. You shouldn't have been alone. I should have stayed with you no matter what you said."

She paused as her emotions built with each word and thought.

"You were supposed to be here," she said harshly; unsure if she was more angry at Beca for the decision to go off on her own or at herself for not insisting she stay after knowing what Beca had to be going through after getting that envelope in the mail, "You said you'd be here; you'd be safe. But now you're _here_. Damn it, Beca, why'd you go to him? Why would you- "

She stopped, forcing herself to take a breath and calm down.

"It doesn't matter now," she shook her head, "He's not going to hurt you again. Ok? The police took him and he's never getting anywhere near you ever again. I promise."

She kissed her hand again; reaching one of hers over to stroke down her cheek.

"God, I love you so much. I don't know what I would have done if…" she trailed off, not daring to even say the words out loud.

Instead she just leaned over, this time putting a kiss against her forehead before settling into the seat again and listening to the soundtrack of the room.

It wasn't long before she heard a knock from the doorway. Expecting a doctor or even one of the Bellas, Chloe was surprised to look up and see Sheila; still in her issued gown and robe. Chloe shot up to her feet and moved to help her, unsure if she was supposed to be up and about yet.

"Sheila!" Chloe let her shock show as she took her arm, "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I'm fine," she responded, her voice slightly altered by the wiring that held her busted jaw together. She hunched a bit as she walked, no doubt in pain, as Chloe helped her over to the chair she had been using.

"Should you be walking around?"

Sheila waved her words off and focused her eyes on the bed.

"One of the nurses," she began, "she recognized Beca from her visits. Told me she was here."

She took a moment, looking Beca over with sad eyes. Her hand moved as if she meant to lay it over Beca's, but she hesitated and settled for grabbing onto the sheet instead.

"How did this happen? A heart attack?" she asked out loud, though Chloe wasn't sure if she was actually expecting an answer from her.

"She has a heart condition," she told her, aware that Beca hadn't disclosed that information to the woman just yet. Sheila looked at her with surprise on her face, "We recently found out. And the stress of…Dr. Mitchell, whatever he did… it overworked it. It caused this."

Sheila shook her head forlornly, her hands shaking as she clutched at the sheet.

"I tried to warn her to stay away," she said looking at Beca once again, "I told them as soon as I could."

Chloe stood beside her and placed her own hand on Sheila's shoulder She didn't want her blaming herself, and she knew Beca wouldn't either. There was only one person to blame and he was, thankfully, in police custody. She licked her lips and dared to ask what she and Beca had feared to be true.

"Sheila, what _did_ you tell the police? Did…Did he do this to you?"

She saw her neck bob as she swallowed and, after a moment, her voice came.

"I was going through the attic to find more pictures for her," she explained, "I found…something, and confronted him about it. He lost it."

"What did you find?" she asked nervously.

"I don't," she shook her head again, this time actually taking the leap and wrapping Beca's still hand in her own, "Not until I talk to her first."

Chloe respected her greatly for wanting to protect Beca's privacy, but she had a feeling what it might be. Shifting her weight form foot to foot, she asked to be sure.

"Was it…hospital records?" she questioned, remaining intentionally vague, just in case she was wrong. From the sudden visible tightening of her hand around Beca's, she suspected she'd hit the nail on the head, "She knows. We were trying to get information about her mom and found that instead. I think that's why she went to him."

Sheila ran a hand down her face, wincing at the aches the contact it caused.

"I'm being released tomorrow," she told her, "I don't know how I can help, but, if she wants, there's room in my apartment for her. I don't know if it means anything but she's always welcome there."

Chloe smiled though it couldn't be seen by the woman sitting down.

"I think she'd like to know that," she told her, And I know she appreciates everything you've done for her. You mean a lot to her, even if she's never come out and said it to you. It's true."

Sheila felt tears form in her eyes at her words. She'd never had any delusions of replacing Beca's mother, but she'd easily grown to love the quiet girl over the relatively short time she'd been in her life. Before Warren had revealed his true colors, she'd had a fantasy of marrying him one day and officially being able to call Beca her daughter; even if Beca never saw it that way herself.

After some more time passed, a nurse came by instructing Sheila to return to her room for the night. Chloe then resumed her place in the chair. Somehow she managed to fall into an uneasy sleep, awkwardly folded over the bed to keep some contact with Beca.

When she woke up, with no clue how long she'd been sleeping, she dazedly looked for the source of the cause. She lifted her head, feeling a painful sting in her neck, and found the reason for her waking quickly; Beca was moving.

She wiped the sleep from her face and sat up straight. Beca's eyes remained closed as her hands moved, first up to her neck where the horrible bruising speckled across her throat, then to her face; feeling the mask sitting there.

"Beca?" she called, "Sweetie? Can you hear me?"

A moment later her eyes parted slightly, blinking a few times before she opened them completely. Chloe watched her eyes wander around the room, hearing a small whimper from her as she did so.

"Hey, hey, shh," she tried to comfort her right away; grabbing her hand again and stroking along her jaw carefully, "It's ok. You're ok."

Eyes finally looked over to Chloe, tears of fear and confusion visible in the dark blues. It broke her heart. She continued using soft words of assurance and gentle touches until Beca seemed to calm down. Once she did, Chloe put on a smile for her.

"Hi," she said once she held her eyes with her own, and teased lightly, "I thought we talked about you not doing this again, Mitchell."

After a second, Beca shook her head against the pillow.

"No," she responded, her tired voice barely audible to Chloe through the oxygen mask. At Chloe's confusion, she swallowed and continued, "Not Mitchell. I'm not…a Mitchell. He told me, before he…" she said the next words as though they were a sad realization, "…he tried to kill me."

The playful smile vanished from her face and Chloe got as close to her as she could without actually crawling in bed with her. She pressed her forehead against Beca's and closed her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Beca. I shouldn't have left you alone after everything. I should have been there," she apologized fiercely, "But you don't have to worry about him anymore. The police have him. Sheila told them he attacked her. He's going away, you never have to see him again. _Ever_."

Beca took as deep a breath as she could manage at the news, her chest still tight in the aftermath.

She didn't have to see him.

She didn't need to live in his constant shadow of judgement anymore.

She expected knowing this to make her feel…lighter. With the weight of him off her back, she should feel better. But, at least for the moment, she only felt exhaustion. Even though she'd only just woke up, Beca could already feel the pull of sleep tugging her back down.

Before she would let herself give in to it, she had to tell Chloe something. Pushing the temptation of sleep back a bit longer, she spoke.

"I remembered…something," she said, blinking slowly, "My moms."

"Moms?" Chloe repeated to be sure she hadn't heard wrong, "Are you sure?"

Beca nodded, forcing her eyes open when they tried to fall shut. She didn't say that her d…that Warren confirmed it to be true. Instead, she focused her remaining energy on the most important part that came to her in those frightful moments she thought she was dying.

"Isabelle," she said reverently, "they called me Isabelle."

She wasn't completely sure if she'd managed to actually say it out loud as she lost the battle to stay awake any longer.

Chloe was surprised to say the least. But at the same time, she was aware of the gravity in this memory that came to Beca; knowing it would go a long way to helping them. Afterall, how many same sex couples were missing a daughter with that name? It wasn't everything but could make huge leaps in their search knowing this much.

Looking at her now resting face, Chloe felt a new smile pull at her lips.

"Isabelle," she tried out the name; testing how it felt to associate it to this girl that she loved so much.

It felt a bit strange, honestly, but Chloe knew she loved the person she was regardless. No matter what name she used she was still hers.

With this in mind, Chloe leaned back in the chair, her own sleep now more peaceful than before. Comforted by the knowledge that, come morning, they could make real progress towards finding the truth Beca – Isabelle- had wanted for so long.

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